


The Lovable Mongrel and Me

by seeleyboothfan



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, Hybrids, M/M, dog!Blaine, puppy!blaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-04-18 20:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4719884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seeleyboothfan/pseuds/seeleyboothfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt hated feeling lonely and his house always seemed too big for just him. After seeing an ad on TV for the local Hybrid shelter, Kurt is inspired to bring another person... creature?... into his life. Blaine, the adorable canine Hybrid is the perfect fit, even if they don't quite understand each other. Can they make this work?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The rescue home was darker and dingier than Kurt had original expected. He hesitated outside the door, unsure if he had made the right decision. Would he really want to adopt a Hybrid from a place like this? What if he'd been poorly taken care of and was too traumatized to adapt to a new home? Who knows what sort of training they had here, too.

With a sigh, Kurt decided to at least give it a try. He didn't have to adopt anyone that he saw. He was allowed to window shop… as it were.

Kurt was surprisingly impressed by the interior of the building. The lobby was painted in a cheery yellow with what looked to be real flowers in vases around the countertops and windowsills.

A young woman bustled in from the side door, pausing and smiling when she spotted Kurt. "Well, hello there! Can I help you?"

"I, um… I was…" Kurt felt his mind go blank as he stared helplessly at the woman. Why was he suddenly so nervous?

The woman smiled sympathetically at him. "It's okay, sir. I assume you're here to take a look at our Hybrids?"

Kurt nodded.

"It can be a little nerve-wracking your first time, but I think you've come to the right place." She stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to Kurt. "I'm Jane."

"Kurt," he responded, shaking her hand.

"Have you filled out one of our applications?"

Kurt nodded, handing her the application that he'd filled out last night.

"Thank you, Kurt. If you'd like to follow me to our visitor's room, I can try and figure out if we have the right Hybrid for you." She led him to a room off to the side and sat him down. "So, what sort of Hybrid are you looking for?"

Kurt shrugged. "I hadn't really given it much thought. I've always thought my personality was more suited for a feline, but I don't know." He looked around the room at all the posters on the wall displaying the variety of Hybrids that were housed here. "I was thinking I could maybe just look around and see if any of them catch my eye."

"That's reasonable. I can show you back to the canine room and it's fairly straightforward how to navigate back through the feline, avian, and reptilian rooms. If you have any questions, there's an intercom system in each room."

It wasn't until he reached the last kennel in the room that Kurt paused for longer than a few moments. The canine Hybrid inside was curled up on a small cot in the back right corner, his tail curled protectively around his waist and his face pressed into his knees, a soft snuffling noise coming from the boy.

Kurt stepped up closer to the room and let his eyes take in the sparse accommodations. It was extremely sad how little the Hybrids had in their little enclosures. It was sure to be a depressing life. Kurt let his eyes move over to the door of the kennel and he flipped through the small folder to read the details of the Hybrid.

_Canine #206: Blaine_

_Origin: Westerville_

_Family: Orphan._

_Attributes: 5'8", 160 lbs, 23 years old, black curly coat, house trained, knowledgeable of basic commands, mastery of hygiene_

Kurt dropped the paperwork back to the kennel door and set his hands lightly against the plexiglass and softly called out, "Hello?"

The Hybrid, Blaine's, ears perked up and his tail wagged slightly, but he didn't turn to face Kurt.

"Blaine?"

The Hybrid's tail wagged a few times more, but he only curled up into himself tighter. Kurt frowned, watching the Hybrid for a few more minutes before going over to the intercom and paging Jane.

Jane came right over, sighing when she saw who Kurt was standing by. "I see you've taken a liking to 206? He's really shy, but I'm sure he'd get comfortable once you got him home. Would you like to follow me back to my office so you can visit with him?"

Kurt nodded. He had never been interested in canines before, much more attuned to felines, but there was something about the Hybrid…. Blaine….

Jane pulled out a ring of keys and flipped through them until she found the right one. The sound of the key in the lock made Blaine tense and he finally raised his head enough for the most terrified amber eyes to look out from a mass of black curls. Even though it was not really possible, Blaine curled himself even further up into himself on the cot and backed himself farther into the corner.

"Come, Blaine. Up," Jane commanded, patting her leg a few times and then clapping her hands. "Come on."

Blaine looked at her with trepidation, but his tail started wagging lightly and he looked a little less scared as he looked between Kurt and Jane.

"It's okay, Blaine. Come on," Jane said, squatting down a little and patting her knees again.

Blaine finally stood up, and it took him a few moments to get his feet steady underneath him. His ears were back a little and his tail was drooped down partway through his legs and he hung his head slightly, looking so uncertain. He wore a generic pair of sweatpants and a cotton t-shirt, a pair of worn tennis shoes on his feet.

"Good boy." Jane reached out slowly and clipped a leash onto Blaine's collar, proceeding to lead him and Kurt through the hallways toward a separate alcove with a few small rooms.

Blaine kept looking back at Kurt, dragging enough that he was getting slightly choked by the collar at his neck. Kurt tried to smile encouragingly at him, but it didn't seem to be helping.

She settled Blaine on the dog bed in the room and offered a regular chair to Kurt and sat herself behind the desk across from him. She pulled some paperwork out of her desk and started writing on it. "So, Mr. Hummel, I've looked over your application and I think you'll make a perfect owner. If you feel like Blaine is the Hybrid you want to adopt, we'll do a trial run and house visit and then we can finalize the paperwork, okay?"

Kurt nodded, looking over at Blaine. Blaine had curled himself up on the bed, head on his hands and he was looking back and forth between Kurt and Jane without a hint of recognition on his face. There was still a slightly anxious look on his face. Kurt smiled at him once more, hoping to send off a calming vibe.

Jane presented him with the contract for him to sign. "This is our temporary contract. It's an agreement that you'll take care of your Hybrid and if things don't work out, you'll return him here so that we can find him another home. I've left our after hours number here for you in case you have any questions or emergencies. If this all seems agreeable to you, I'll need you to sign here."

Kurt read over the paperwork, which basically stated in legal terms exactly what Jane had been saying. He took the pen from her and signed his name at the bottom. He handed Jane the contract back and looked back at Blaine. The Hybrid was still curled up on the bed, but his eyes were half-lidded with tiredness, but he kept looking back and forth between Kurt and Jane as they talked back and forth.

"Everything looks good here, Kurt. Are you ready to take your new Hybrid home?"

Kurt smiled. "I am." He stood up and shook Jane's hand once more.

Jane walked over to Blaine, putting a hand on his shoulder and grinning down at him. "All right, Blaine, are you ready to go to your new home?"

Blaine's tail started wagging, even if he still looked really uncertain. He watched closely as Jane clipped the leash onto his collar and pulled lightly to get him to stand up. His eyes seemed to light up as Jane handed the end of the leash to Kurt.

Kurt took a deep breath as he gripped the leash into his hands. He was really doing this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this new little story. I had this weird little thing come to me the other night and had this desperate need to write it out. I'm still working on "Proud of Your Boy", but while I'm a little stuck on that, I figured this was a great way to keep my minuscule writing brain up.
> 
> Let me know if you like it. There's 2-3 more chapters to come for this, hopefully over the next couple days/weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

The walk from the shelter to Kurt's car was… interesting to say the least. It was like trying to guide a skittish two-year old. Blaine seemed slightly spooked as they exited the building, as if he hadn't been outside in a long while. It broke Kurt's heart to know Blaine may not have actually gotten to be in the fresh air for a long time. That was going to change right now.

Kurt finally got Blaine over to his car and unlocked the passenger door. "Get inside?" Kurt offered, pointing to the chair inside the car. Blaine didn't seem to acknowledge Kurt's command, still surveying the area as if to find an escape.

Kurt finally had to put his hands on Blaine's sides and lift him into the car, struggling slightly against the solid weight of Blaine's body and the suddenly squirming Hybrid. Finally, he settled him into his seat, buckling him securely in; he got into his own side and turned to face Blaine. Blaine was looking around the car and the scenery outside the car with some trepidation. "Are you ready to go to my home, Blaine?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt, his eyes wide and an unsure smile on his face.

Kurt returned his smile. "Okay, let's go." He started up the car, pausing a moment before he put his hand on the gearshift. "Would you like me to lower the window?"

Blaine cocked his head, an adorably confused expression on his face. His tail twitched where it rested next to him on the seat.

"Window?" Kurt pointed to the window behind him. Blaine blinked a few times and then turned to look out the window behind him before looking at Kurt again. "I'll lower it for you and if you don't like it, I can close it," he explained, pressing the button so that Blaine's window lowered halfway down.

Blaine turned back to face the window, his ears back and nose twitching at the scents coming through. Kurt watched as Blaine leaned towards the window, tail wagging even more and his mouth curling into a large smile, especially when Kurt put the car into drive and started going home. The wind blowing through the window blew Blaine's curls back.

A few times during the drive, Blaine would turn to face Kurt with the largest smile on his face. "I thought you might enjoy it," Kurt said, clicking the blinker so that he could make the last turn onto his street. Finally, Kurt was pulling into his driveway.

Blaine, seeming to realize that the ride was over, started fidgeting in his seat, eyes going wide with anxiousness again.

Once Kurt put the car into park, he quickly got out of the car and ran around to Blaine's side. Kurt undid Blaine's seat belt, holding out his hand for Blaine to take. Blaine looked down at Kurt's hand and back at his face, no sign of recognition as to what Kurt wanted from him. Kurt refused to clip the leash onto Blaine's collar and yank him out of the car. He never thought it was humane to treat Hybrids that way. Sure they tended to be 90% of whatever animal they were personality-wise, but that didn't mean there wasn't any humanity in them. Kurt reached out and took Blaine's hand in his own and pulled him out of the car.

Blaine couldn't seem to keep his eyes on one place for more than a few seconds. First the tree in the yard caught his eye, then it was the bunny that hopped away into the nearest bush, then the car that came cruising down the road, and then it was back to the tree again.

Kurt allowed him to take everything in for a while before he pulled on Blaine's hand again. "Let's go inside, Blaine, okay?"

Blaine just looked at Kurt with a small smile, that unsure look in his eyes. Kurt was just going to have to accept that Blaine wasn't going to understand a majority of what Kurt was going to say.

"Come on," Kurt said, squeezing Blaine's hand and lightly pulling him towards the house again. "Inside." Kurt repeated, gesturing to the house. "Home."

Blaine looked up at the house before looking back at Kurt.

"Home," Kurt said once more, walking them both up to the door and unlocking it. He opened the door and helped Blaine inside. He set the leash he'd been given from Jane on the coat rack and pulled off his shoes. "Can you sit down for me?" Kurt asked, pointing at the chair in the living room.

Blaine, still not understanding Kurt, proceeded to look around the house, looking awed with it all.

"Blaine? Sit?" Kurt tried again, pointing once more at the chair. "Sit?"

Blaine finally looked like he'd understood the words Kurt had said. He looked at the chair and then around the entire room, spotting the dog bed in the corner and lighting up. He walked past the chair that Kurt had meant for him to sit in and instead sat on the dog bed.

Kurt never really agreed with treating Hybrid's like pets, so he'd been hesitant to purchase the dog bed, but he'd purchased it anyway, just in case the Hybrid he rescued would feel more at home with one. He was thankful he'd gone ahead with that, seeing how much more comfortable Blaine seemed as he settled into the bed.

Kurt knelt down next to the bed and reached for Blaine's feet, asking, "Can I help you remove your shoes?" Blaine smiled, but looked like he had no idea what Kurt meant. "Shoes," Kurt repeated, pointing towards them.

Blaine looked down at his feet, holding them up in the air towards Kurt and looking back up at him for confirmation. "Yes, those are your shoes. Thank you, Blaine." He carefully reached toward them, pausing when Blaine frowned and pulled his feet back towards himself and cradling one in his hands. "Blaine…" Kurt said, a mild warning in his tone.

Blaine's face fell and his ears tilted back on his head.

"I need to take your shoes off, Blaine. We don't wear them in the house." He reached for Blaine's foot once more, stopping when Blaine curled his lips back and bared his teeth. Kurt was not prepared for the sudden aggression from Blaine, the animalistic quality to him. Kurt fell backwards onto his ass, too shocked to brace his fall.

Blaine's anger quickly faded and he cowered down in his bed.

Kurt took a deep breath and tried to school his expression into a calm and open one. "It's okay, Blaine. I shouldn't have expected you to let me touch you so soon. I'm sorry." Kurt moved his legs so that he wasn't sitting painfully on them. "I'm never going to hurt you, Blaine. I never want you to be scared of me." Kurt chuckled humorlessly. "Here I go talking and talking and you don't understand a word I'm saying."

Blaine frowned and he looked down at his feet and then back up at Kurt. He slowly held his foot back up to Kurt and looked up at him through his eyelashes, expression repentant.

"Thank you, Blaine," Kurt said, slowly reaching for his shoes and breathing out a sigh of relief when he was able to touch it without any issues. He made quick work of pulling them off, thankful that they were pull-ons. "Thank you," Kurt said again, taking the shoes with a smile and setting them next to where he'd put his own shoes.

Kurt sat down primly in the chair as he watched Blaine take in the room around them.  _Now what?_

Kurt hadn't really made a plan for what happened once they got home. How did he know when to feed Blaine, or when he had to go to the bathroom, or what about when Blaine needed to be cleaned? Kurt's cheeks turned pink at the thought of Blaine completely naked and wet.  _For god's sake, Kurt, he's your Hybrid roommate with the intelligence level of a dog, not your boyfriend._ Plus, Kurt hadn't ever really thought about the finer details of it, but this was a long commitment. Hybrids lived nearly as long as humans. The oldest recorded Hybrid was a turtle Hybrid who passed away at eighty three years of age. Dog Hybrids ran the middle of the line at a life expectancy of forty to fifty years. Blaine was only twenty three… he could be with Kurt for at least that much longer, if not more. Kurt felt his heart race with a slight panic as he realized just how much responsibility this all was. Kurt made a note to contact Jane to ask her about all the other concerns. I mean really, shouldn't he have gotten an informational packet on how to take care of Blaine? Sure, Blaine had mastered his "hygiene" according to the file on his kennel, but how exactly did he manage it? Kurt assumed he could use a toilet just like him, but what if that wasn't true? And what did Blaine eat? God, maybe Kurt wasn't quite ready for all of this. Before he made any major decisions, though, he had to give it a real go and see if they could make this all work.

Kurt tapped his fingers on the chair, looking around for something to catch his interest for something he and Blaine could do together. His eyes were drawn back to Blaine, watching as Blaine's eyes darted around the room.

Maybe Kurt should try and explain what was going to be happening now that Blaine lived with him? "Blaine." Blaine's ears perked up at his name and he smiled. "I'm Kurt."

The expression on Blaine's face didn't change except for his eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.

Kurt sighed. He pointed to Blaine and said, "Blaine," again, not able to hide his smile when Blaine looked excited and his tail started wagging. Kurt then pointed to himself. "Kurt."

Blaine blinked up at him, still not seeming to comprehend. Kurt sighed; it was going to take a while to help Blaine understand words that were new to him. But Kurt was willing to try.

"So the paperwork for you didn't really give much information about your past. Did you live with your parents for a while or have you been an orphan your whole life? And were your parents both Hybrids or…" Kurt trailed off.

It was taboo to talk about human and Hybrid pairings, even if they were quite commonplace. Society saw mating with Hybrids as horrific as mating with true animals – the Hybrids didn't have the capacity to make decisions of that nature and frankly it was quite appalling because most Hybrids didn't show sexual attraction to humans, nor Hybrids of a different species. They had that ability to bond with their human families and other Hybrids around them, but they only really seemed to feel love and attraction to Hybrids of the same species as themselves. Not to say that there weren't exceptions to the rule.

"Sorry, that was rude. I was only trying to…" Blaine watched Kurt, eyes blank of any recognition to anything Kurt said, instead watching the way Kurt's mouth moved. "I mean, I'm sure you weren't at the shelter your whole life. You look too well-fed to have been outside on the streets." Kurt paused when he noticed Blaine's ears perk up and his face light up with a small smile.

Kurt thought back through what he'd just said to figure out what could have peaked Blaine's interest.

"Streets? Outside?"

Blaine's eyes widened and his mouth stretched into a bright smile, his whole body wiggling with the force of his tail wags.

Kurt chuckled. "You like going outside?"

Blaine's body was practically vibrating on the bed, his tail wagging hard enough to wriggle his entire back end.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom and then we can head outside."

Kurt stood up and walked over to the door, stepping into the bathroom. He moved towards the toilet and reached for his fly when he was stopped by the sound of scratching at the door. He turned around quickly and opened the door, feeling his heart break at the devastated expression on Blaine's face through the crack in the door.

Kurt pulled the door completely open, suddenly having an armful of the shaking Hybrid. "I'm so sorry, Blaine. I wasn't leaving you. I was just…" he sighed, knowing his explanations wouldn't get through to him. "It's okay, Blaine."

Blaine made a little hiccuping sob and buried his face into Kurt's shirt. Kurt felt Blaine's hands grip the back of his shirt in tight grasps, his nails digging in to the point where Kurt could almost feel them on his skin.

"It's okay, Blaine. I'm going to make sure you're never alone again. We're going to be a family."

Blaine took in a shuddering breath, shifting so that his face was pressed into Kurt's neck, taking a deep breath and slowly shaking less and less. Kurt held him tighter as he listened to Blaine sniffle, jumping when he felt Blaine lick him twice on the neck, which was extremely ticklish to Kurt, before pulling away to look at him through red-rimmed eyes.

"You're safe here with me. You're home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys like this! I wasn't sure if it would be something you guys would enjoy reading since it's a bit different than what I usually write, but when you get plagued by a story, you need to get it out on paper. I hope you like this new chapter - like I said, there's probably only 1 or 2 more chapters left of this little ficlet, but if there's something specific you want to see or know, I might get more inspiration to expand it even farther.
> 
> Reviews are everything to a writer :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asked what Blaine looks like in this story. If you go to my tumblr (seeleyboothfan), tagged under "puppy!blaine" is a few reference pictures for the story.

 

Once Blaine had calmed down enough, Kurt managed to convince him to stay just outside the bathroom door which Kurt then left halfway open, so that Blaine could see that Kurt wasn't leaving, but also, more importantly, he wasn't just awkwardly watching Kurt use the toilet. Kurt made quick work of washing his hands and then stepped back out of the bathroom to join Blaine. "All right, ready to go outside?"

Blaine smiled, happy to see Kurt again, so happy in fact that he latched onto Kurt's hand and cradled it between both of his own hands. He looked up at Kurt with a blindingly bright smile, as if he were taking in every word Kurt said, even if he didn't understand it.

"All right then; follow me." Kurt led them both over to the entrance to the backyard. Blaine hesitated for a moment at the slider door as he watched Kurt open it. Kurt could see the excitement in the perking up of Blaine's ears and the twitching of his tail, a small smile on his face. "Come on, Blaine, let's go outside."

Blaine raised slightly uncertain eyes to Kurt, looking for all the world like he wanted to go outside, but untrusting that he deserved such a treat.

"It's going to be okay. It'll be fun, Blaine. Outside is fun, right?"

Blaine's smile grew and his tail started manically swishing from side to side as he looked back outside and took a few small steps. The look on his face… Kurt nearly giggled. No one had ever looked around Kurt's backyard with as much awe as Blaine did.

Once Blaine had fully exited the house, it was like Kurt wasn't even there, as if all of Blaine's walls had crumbled down and he was experiencing the world with his full heart. He darted around the yard, unable to stay focused on anything for longer than a few seconds.

Kurt watched in genuine amusement and fondness as Blaine walked from tree to fence to hammock to garden, taking in all the sights and scents and sounds with a child-like eagerness. Finally, after Blaine seemed to have taken his fill, he turned back to face Kurt, eyes watery with tears. He walked over to Kurt and grasped his hands, bringing them up to his face and nuzzling against them.

"I think you'll be really happy here. I want this to become  _our_  home."

Blaine continued to nuzzle against Kurt's hands, smile so big on his face that his cheeks were scrunched nearly up to his ears.

"Are you happy, Blaine?"

Blaine squinted his eyes as he looked up at Kurt, as if he were trying to decipher Kurt's meaning.

Kurt bit his lip, trying to figure out the best way to explain it to Blaine. "Happy," Kurt said again, smiling widely and pointing at his mouth. "Happy."

Blaine's eyes lit up with recognition, his whole body wiggling and pointing at his own smile, as if acknowledging that he understood the word 'happy'.

"Yes, happy."

Blaine scooted closer to Kurt and used his fingers to poke at the corners of Kurt's mouth, eyes shining with pride as he pressed against Kurt's cheeks and moved them around. Kurt couldn't help but giggle as Blaine closely examined Kurt's mouth. After a few moments, Blaine looked back up at Kurt and pointed back at his own mouth which widened into a large smile once again.

"I guess that answers my question, then," Kurt said, placing his hand on Blaine's head and ruffling his hair. "What do you say we go back inside and eat something?" When Blaine just looked at him without any recognition, head cocked slightly to the side, Kurt continued, "Eat?"

Blaine's eyes widened with excitement and he almost started jumping up and down, tilting backward and forward on his feet. He looked down at Kurt's hand when it was offered to him and only took a few seconds to examine it before he grabbed it with his own and looked up at Kurt for confirmation that he'd down it right. Kurt squeezed his hand and led them both back in the house.

Blaine looked around the house as Kurt brought him into the kitchen. He still looked amazed, as if he couldn't believe that it was all real. Kurt brought him over to the island and pulled out a stool for Blaine. When he realized that Blaine had no idea what to do with it, he pulled out another chair and sat down, saying "Can you sit here for me?" to Blaine and pointing to the chair. "Sit?"

Blaine awkwardly situated himself on the stool, accidentally sitting on his tail and whimpering slightly before he managed to seat himself completely on it, feet scrabbling at the spindles running lengthwise along the bottom and nearly unseating himself. Kurt put out his hands to catch him, but Blaine managed to center himself on the chair by himself.

"Good sit," Kurt complimented, scratching behind Blaine's right ear and feeling his heart swell as Blaine leaned into the touch and closed his eyes in contentment, a low rumbling in his chest. "I think I'll make us some sandwiches for tonight, nothing too difficult for you to eat."

Blaine opened his eyes, pupils slightly dilated and a lost look that quickly sharpened into focus. He made a move to stand up, but Kurt shook his head and set his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Please staying sitting? Sit?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed and Kurt could almost see the gears shifting in Blaine's brain before he seemed to figure it out and he settled more heavily into his chair. Kurt walked around the island and made quick work of pulling out the peanut butter and jelly and a loaf of bread, spreading the mixture and slapping the bread together and setting it on a plate. "Bon appétit," Kurt said, hesitating in passing the plate to Blaine. "I wonder if you're allergic to peanuts…" Kurt bit his lip and reached for the packet of information Jane had given him which he'd thankfully set on the counter when they first arrived. He flipped through it quickly, sighing in relief when he saw that, under allergies, it said " _none known_ ". "Guess we're safe." Kurt finally passed the plate to Blaine.

The Hybrid looked adorably confused, poking at the sandwich and jumping slightly when a little jam oozed out of it.

"It's okay, Blaine. It won't hurt you." Kurt pulled up his own plate and picked up the sandwich, taking a bite of it and smiling widely at Blaine to show that it was okay. "Eat?" he asked, gesturing towards Blaine's sandwich.

Blaine watched inquisitively as Kurt took another bite of his sandwich before looking down at his own and tilting his head as he analyzed it. He carefully reached out and picked it up, nose scrunching adorably as some peanut butter slid out onto his finger. He didn't let it stop him from pulling it closer to his face.

Kurt watched anxiously as he looked at the sandwich, finally sniffing it as if he was still debating whether to eat it or not. He must have enjoyed the scent of it, because Blaine opened his mouth to take a large bite, eyes sparkling as he tasted it, tongue slipping out to catch a bit of jelly that had caught on the corner of his mouth. His body wiggled on the stool and his tail started wagging like crazy behind him. He practically shoved the whole sandwich in his mouth, crumbs scattering all over his shirt and down onto his lap.

Kurt couldn't help but stare as Blaine demolished the sandwich, his own sandwich neglected in his hands, dripping all over his plate.

Once Blaine had finished the sandwich, he quickly sucked his fingers into his mouth and licked them, making sure to get every last bit he could. Once he finished, he looked down at his plate and a small frown overtook his mouth. He glanced up at Kurt and his eyes moved back and forth from Kurt's sandwich, to his face, and back to his sandwich, a questioning look on his face.

Kurt smiled and offered the sandwich to Blaine, knowing that Blaine would enjoy the sandwich more than he would.

Blaine looked disbelieving, not taking the sandwich until Kurt practically placed it in his hands. "Go ahead, eat."

Blaine was much more careful with this sandwich, taking smaller bites, but still with an excited air. Kurt stood up to go make another sandwich, deciding to make two when he noticed that Blaine had finished his sandwich and licked the crumbs off his plate. Blaine was going to eat him out of house and home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once more to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I am having a rough time in life, so having this story to write and your interest in it makes it easier to get through the bad times.
> 
> I'm excited for you guys to read the next chapter - it's quite different than the rest. Please stick with me while I write - I know I take a long time between chapters, so I apologize in advance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unlike the others, so I want to give a small explanation. Capitalize and/or bolded words are ones that Blaine understands. I wanted to show just how much Blaine can comprehend of the world and dialogue around him. I hope it works out the way I wanted. Thanks again for all your reviews!

 

Kurt was Blaine's favorite thing ever. Sure, he liked going Outside and he loved chasing the furry Skwer-rells, but Kurt was his favorite. He saved him from that small dark place with mean old Jane. He didn't like that place at all. They locked him into a tiny room and left him all alone. All these scary Humans kept coming to peer in at him, but they'd always leave and he'd be alone again. The food they gave him was really gross, but he was always so hungry, so he was forced to eat it. Jane called the food Grah-no-lah and it was the most tasteless thing Blaine had ever tasted. Even when he was on the streets, at least he had good food.

So, yeah, Kurt was his favorite.

Speaking of Kurt…

" **Blaine** , let's  **get up**."

Blaine groaned and stretched out on his bed, blinking his eyes slowly and seeing Kurt's smiling face above him. It was so wonderful when Kurt was the first thing he saw when he woke up. He always gave Blaine a bubbly feeling in his stomach and it made him smile. Blaine didn't think he'd ever smiled as much in his life as he did now that he lived with Kurt. He made Blaine feel like the most special Person in the whole world. Because Kurt always treated him like a Person, not a Pet, like everyone else called him and treated him.

Jane always made him feel like a Pet. She put the long piece on his Collar and pulled really hard and made him cough. Kurt never made him feel that way and he never pulled on his Collar like that. In fact, Kurt said he didn't have to wear his Collar if he didn't want to, but Blaine liked wearing it. It made him feel safe, especially when Kurt put the shiny piece on it that had his name and things that led him to Kurt if he ever got lost. Not that Kurt ever let him get lost. Since he'd come to live with Kurt, he'd rarely left him alone.

"I want us to  **eat**  some breakfast so that we can spend some time  **outside** ; does that sound  **okay**?"

Listening to Kurt talk was interesting. There was very little that he understood, but Kurt was teaching him what he meant. Blaine liked Eating and he liked going Outside, so he smiled up at Kurt, trying to let him know how happy both of those things made him and he felt his tail start shaking back and forth. He couldn't control his tail and it nearly got him in trouble when it knocked some things off Kurt's table. But Kurt would just smile and shake his head and clean up whatever Blaine had disturbed. He never yelled at Blaine, ever.

"Awesome. I was thinking we could  **eat**  some crepes. I wasn't sure what you'd like so I got a couple different fruits and spreads," Kurt explained, holding out his hand so that he could help Blaine off the bed. Even if Blaine didn't really understand at all what Kurt just said, he heard the word Eat, so it was bound to be really good. Blaine loved eating what Kurt made him.

Blaine followed Kurt, tail swishing behind him. Kurt always made something that Blaine hadn't tried yet once a week, and then stuck with what Blaine liked for the rest of the week. Today's meal looked interesting to Blaine, almost like the Pancakes that Kurt had made before, but thinner. And there were brightly colored bits sprinkled over top. He eagerly sat down and grabbed the Fork (holding onto it as best he could, looking up at Kurt to make sure he was doing it right), proceeding to dig in when Kurt nodded at him. Using a Fork was still a new concept to Blaine. On the streets, he never had to worry about using utensils and when he was at the shelter, they only ever fed him food he could eat with his fingers. Kurt always used utensils, so Blaine made sure to do the same, especially with food as messy as what they were eating today.

The food was delicious. It was sweet and creamy and Blaine fell in love with it. Kurt was the best cook and Blaine was so happy that he'd picked  _him_  to take home. He tried his best to eat slowly, but the food was delicious and all too soon his plate was empty. Just as he was going to try and convince Kurt to give him more, Kurt was right there scooping another one of his fabulous concoctions onto Blaine's plate. Blaine couldn't help but wiggle in his chair in excitement as he pulled the plate closer to him and continued eating.

After eating, sometimes they would sit on the Couch and watch what Kurt called 'movies'. Most of them had singing and Blaine loved it most when Kurt would sing along. He loved laying his head on Kurt's chest and feeling the vibrations against his cheek. Plus, whenever he curled up into Kurt, he'd put his hand in Blaine's hair and scratch. That was the best, because Kurt was the best at scratching, just like he was the best at everything else. Kurt loved Blaine's ears and Blaine loved that Kurt loved his ears. Because Kurt was awesome. He knew exactly how Blaine liked his ears to be scratched. He'd dig his fingers down into the outer base of his ears and really scratch away. Blaine had to stop his leg from twitching out when Kurt did that. Other times, Kurt would wrap his arm around him and rub softly up and down Blaine's side. Blaine would rest his head on Kurt's chest, his nose practically in his armpit. Kurt would make these high pitched, breathless noises with a huge smile on his face, telling Blaine he's 'ticklish', whatever that means.

Kurt was teaching him so many things, too. Apparently, nodding your head up and down meant Yes and shaking it side to side meant No. Blaine couldn't speak like Kurt could, so he was thankful that Kurt was trying to find ways for them to understand each other as much as they could.

One of the things Kurt also taught him about was how to show 'affection'. He'd hold Blaine's hand for no reason other than just to be closer to him. He'd put his arms around Blaine and Hug him. Hugs were awesome, even more so because it was Kurt doing them. He was so warm and he smelled so good. Kurt would get a big smile on his face when Blaine would hug him, so he did it as often as he could.

Life before Kurt and before Jane was something Blaine tried to forget about. Kurt would ask him about People, about Blaine's Mom and Dad, but he didn't understand those words. Kurt would show him pictures of other People and say that they were his Family. Wasn't Blaine also Kurt's Family? That's what Kurt would always say to him, that they were Family. Who were this these People, these Moms and Dads and Brothers that Kurt showed him? And why did Kurt keep asking if Blaine had those too?

Blaine thought back to before, when he had been on the streets. He'd been lonely and most of the time he'd been cold and hungry. None of the other Hybrids he'd met were nice to him. They'd have lots of food and they wouldn't share. They'd growl and hiss and bat at him. Blaine didn't think he'd ever had these Moms and Dads and Brothers that Kurt talked about. He'd certainly never been part of a Family before, either.

So Blaine would just look at the pictures and nod, as if he understood, even if he was mildly worried that Kurt might leave him alone again because of this Family he kept talking about. Those nights, Blaine would stick to Kurt's side and lick his neck and grip his hands and make sure that Kurt was happy with him.

Kurt would just look down at Blaine and smile, telling him 'Don't worry, Blaine. I'm not leaving you' and pull him that much closer. The comforting smell would wash over him as he listened to Kurt's breaths and heartbeats with his cheek pressed against Kurt's chest.

There were days when Kurt would tell him that he had to leave and he'd have this Person named Rachel come over to stay with him. He'd heard Kurt say that Rachel was "Hybrid-sitting" him and he'd told Rachel the first time that 'You aren't going to treat Blaine like a  **pet**. He's more of a person than most  **people**  in the rest of the world.' He'd placed his hand on Blaine's head and ruffled his hair, telling Blaine that he'd be okay and that he'd be Home soon.

Blaine hadn't wanted Kurt to leave. He'd gripped onto his hand and pulled as hard as he could so that Kurt couldn't walk out the door without him. Kurt had looked sadly at him, saying he had to go to 'work' and that he'd return as quickly as he could.

When Kurt walked out and shut the door behind him, Blaine just stood there staring at the door, willing Kurt to come back inside and spend the day with him like they'd always done. Rachel finally had to pull him away from the door. She'd said something to him, but her speech was much too quick for Blaine to understand it. He frowned and pulled his hand out of her grasp and stomped over to his bed. He'd never been as angry as he was now. How dare Kurt leave him alone, especially with this shrill Person who wouldn't stop trying to talk to him as if he could understand anything she said? He simply curled himself into a little ball and napped until finally Kurt returned.

Blaine had leapt up, nearly catching his foot on the edge of his bed, slipping and sliding as he ran to the door, leaping into Kurt's arms and finally feeling right as Kurt dropped whatever he'd been holding and hugging him in return.

There were several days over the next few weeks that Kurt would leave him with Rachel, and gradually Rachel seemed to pick up on Blaine's cues and she started talking slower and less loudly. She liked to put Music on while she did other things and she'd sing along. Blaine could sit and listen to her all day. She had such a magical quality to her voice, not like Kurt's, but still beautiful. She would sometime try and get Blaine to join her, 'dancing' she had said, and Blaine only hesitated for a moment before he got pulled in by her excitement. She'd laughed the first time he swayed to the Music, trying to mimic Rachel, but failing quite spectacularly.

Over their days together, she'd managed to teach him a few steps and they'd performed for Kurt one day. Blaine was so happy to see such a delighted look on his face, clapping along to the music and eventually standing up to join them, which caused the two of them to start giggling. Blaine could feel the happiness in the air and he opened his mouth, letting out a sound somewhat similar to the sound of Kurt's laugh. Kurt had whipped around to face him, his face bright with excitement. "Oh my god, Rachel, did you hear that?"

Rachel nodded. "Did he just laugh?"

"I think so," Kurt said, getting closer to Blaine. "That was a laugh, Blaine." Kurt made a noise similar to what he and Rachel had been doing. "Laugh."

Blaine looked back and forth from Rachel to Kurt, trying to understand if the noise they made and the word 'laugh' were the same, that they were teaching him a new word. He opened his mouth wide like they'd done just a moment ago and forced a lungful of air through his lips, the noise sounding similar to theirs.

Kurt's smile grew even larger and there was a wet glint to his eyes as he ruffled Blaine's hair. "Yes, Blaine. Laugh." He pulled Blaine into his arms and Hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear, "I love you."

Blaine didn't know what that meant, but the way Kurt had said it made Blaine feel like it was maybe the best thing ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be back to our regularly written story from Kurt's POV, but I hope you liked this little insight. Let me know!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't think that I've ever mentioned in the story, but there aren't really actual dogs or cats, etc. in this world, only Hybrids.

 

There were nights that Blaine didn't want to sleep in his own bed. He'd toss and turn and whine until Kurt would sigh and hold up the sheet so that Blaine could slide in next to him. Once Blaine would settle in, he'd curl up into a ball and fall right back asleep.

The first time that Blaine had crawled into the bed, Kurt woke up and found himself on the edge of his bed, a few millimeters from being knocked off. When he tried to scootch back toward the middle of the bed, he'd bumped into Blaine, who he saw was sprawled over three quarters of the bed. Not only that, but he'd stolen all the blankets, too.

Kurt sighed and twisted so that he was facing Blaine and placed his hands upon Blaine's back, trying in vain to move him over to the other side of the bed. Blaine was like a dead weight, especially with the nest he had made of the blankets sometime throughout the night. Kurt grumbled, rolling himself off the bed and barely catching himself on his hands and knees, breath hissing out of him in pain.

He glared up at Blaine who was still nestled comfortably on the entirety of Kurt's bed. "Be glad I like you, little turd," he grumbled, standing up slowly and wincing at the soreness in his right knee.

Kurt, hand on his hips, glared at the boy on his bed. He was mad, but  _god dammit he's adorable_. He was snuffling and twitching his nose with every few breaths, cuter than anything else Kurt had ever seen. In their short time together, there were a lot of things that Blaine got away with because of how cute and pouty and adorably confused and blissfully happy he was. If Kurt was willing to admit it, he spoiled Blaine rotten.

Kurt looked down at him again, analyzing if there was any way to fit himself back on the bed. As if Blaine knew what he was doing, he stretched himself the last quarter and completely occupied the bed. "You've got to be kidding me," Kurt said with a fond smile on his face. "All right, I guess I'll make breakfast while you have some more time to devote to your beauty sleep, mister."

Kurt changed out of his pajamas into a pair of comfy slacks and a t-shirt. He made quick work of preparing a cup of coffee in his Keurig, pulling open his fridge to see what he could make for both of them.

Kurt sighed; it was pretty slim pickings. He had some fruit that he could add to a bowl of oatmeal. He didn't have many eggs, certainly not enough to make omelettes, but he could make some French Toast with them.

Decided, he got to work beating the eggs and adding a splash of vanilla, smiling when the coffee finished brewing. He was just dipping the bread into the mixture when he heard the shuffling of feet behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled when he spotted a sleepy Blaine rubbing his eyes and yawning, a hint of stubble on his chin. Kurt made a note to himself to shave Blaine after breakfast. Kurt hadn't realized upon rescuing Blaine that grooming would be a requirement, but Blaine didn't seem bothered by it, so it wasn't terribly difficult.

Looking at Blaine standing there, Kurt forgot for a moment that Blaine was a Hybrid. If Kurt were being honest, there were times that he would look at Blaine and see only an extremely attractive boy. That fluttering feeling would return and Kurt would have to force the feelings back, which was simpler when he would catch sight of Blaine's tail swishing behind him or when Blaine would reach up to scratch at his ears.

It was a crush, but Kurt knew it would never turn into anything romantic, not when Blaine wouldn't ever be able to feel the same way that Kurt did. Sure, Blaine could love him, but not in the way that Kurt would need as a fully human being. It was better if Kurt made sure the only feelings that he had were those of a familial one.

Kurt turned off the range and scooped one of the pieces of French Toast onto a plate. He paused at the refrigerator to grab some syrup, only just spotting Blaine who was walking curiously over to the oven and reaching out for the scalding hot pan.

"NO!" Kurt shouted, running towards him. Blaine squeaked in fright and threw himself back a few feet, eyes wide with fear and tail darting between his legs.

Kurt immediately went into apologetic mode. "Oh my god, Blaine, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. You were going to hurt yourself," he tried to explain as he stepped closer to Blaine.

Blaine, skin paling and eyes wide with terror, backed away from him and Kurt's heart broke.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said again, holding his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean to."

Blaine, clearly not understanding him, backed away, jumping in fright when his back hit the wall before he ran into the living room. When Kurt followed after him, his heart broke; Blaine had squeezed his way into the corner between the couch and the wall, head between his knees.

Did he go to Blaine and try to comfort him, or would he just scare Blaine even more? Kurt wasn't certain, but he assumed, due to Blaine's reaction, that Blaine had been abused at some point in his life.

Kurt decided to take a seat on a chair across the room from Blaine, so that he could see him and know he wasn't alone, but also so that he wasn't crowding into Blaine's space. Kurt rubbed his hands up and down his face and groaned. He'd royally fucked up. Was Blaine ever going to forgive him for this? How the hell was he supposed to explain that he had gotten scared that Blaine was going to injure himself, that  _that's_  why he'd shouted?

He was still pondering ways to make it up to Blaine when he was startled by a hand on his arm. He looked up and was surprised (though really, why should he be? Blaine was the only other person in the house with Kurt) to see Blaine in front of him. "Blaine?"

Blaine looked up at Kurt inquisitively, eyes still sad.

Kurt reached out slowly and gently placed his hand on Blaine's. "I'm sorry," he couldn't help but repeat. "I'm so sorry, Blaine."

Blaine just cocked his head to the side, forehead crinkled in confusion.

"I wasn't mad at you, Blaine. I love you and when you are doing something that could really hurt you, it makes me get really scared. I'm sorry for yelling."

Blaine still didn't really seem to understand the words, but after studying his face, Blaine nodded and placed his free hand on Kurt's heart and looked back into Kurt's eyes, as if he were trying to say that he loved Kurt, too.

Blaine was… Kurt didn't quite know how to describe him. He was everything Kurt didn't know he needed in his life. He was someone to come home to every day, someone to experience the world with, and someone to just be with when the days were long and hard. Kurt was so thankful that he'd gone to that shelter and found Blaine; he didn't know what life would be like now without him.

Life with Blaine was a new adventure every day. Teaching Blaine new things, seeing the world through Blaine's eyes… everything was exciting and new. Everything was perfect except for maybe a few things.

There's one thing that Blaine does that flusters Kurt more than anything else.

When Blaine gets hot, he starts shucking off his clothes with no hint of modesty. Kurt had nearly passed out the first time he'd seen Blaine standing butt-naked in the living room. He'd just been outside grabbing his portfolio from the car and the mail from the letterbox while Blaine had been running around with a ball in the backyard. He'd returned to see Blaine pulling his shorts down, his top half already completely bare. Kurt had shrieked and covered up his eyes.

He knew his face must have been crimson, his breaths shallow, and his heart pounding in his chest. He carefully peered through his fingers at Blaine (keeping his eyes as far away from Blaine's lower half as possible). "What are you doing?" he asked, as calmly as he could.

Blaine was smiling brightly, looking a little confused at Kurt's behavior, but not at all ashamed of his nudity. He was covered in sweat and there was a smear of dirt on his cheek. He'd obviously gotten overheated outside and dealt with the heat in the only way he knew how, so Kurt couldn't really be upset about that.

He'd seen Blaine shirtless before, he had to really. Blaine was hopeless at cleaning himself, so Kurt had taken it upon himself to bathe Blaine at least three times a week. He'd get Blaine down to his boxers and usher him in the tub. Blaine was pretty good at soaping his body up, so Kurt thankfully left that up to him. His part of the bathing was to shampoo Blaine's unruly hair. He used only the best of products, specifically designed for curly hair with an added 'no-tears' for Hybrids.

Once Blaine's body was scrubbed clean, Kurt would get to work on his hair. Blaine loved getting his hair washed. He'd make these little groaning noises and relax into Kurt's hands. Kurt would carefully soap up Blaine's ears, making sure not to get anything into the canal of them. Once, he'd made the mistake of letting some water slide into Blaine's ear and had then been sprayed with excess water when Blaine had frantically started shaking his head.

When Kurt had spluttered and fallen back onto his ass in shock, Blaine had looked up at him with eyes glittering in amusement and huffed out a laugh, still pawing at his ear.

"You think that's funny, do you?" Kurt grumbled, getting back to his knees and wiping the moisture off his face. He dunked his hand into the water and flicked his fingers at Blaine's face, giggling when Blaine scrunched up his face and squirmed. "Not so funny now, huh? Didn't think so."

Kurt got Blaine out of the bath and handed a towel to him so that he'd start to dry himself off while Kurt got the shaving supplies out. Kurt waited until Blaine had run the towel down the length of his tail before he gestured for him to sit on the closed lid of the toilet. He lathered up some shaving cream and spread it over Blaine's cheeks, getting momentarily distracted by the scratch of the stubble on his fingers while Blaine looked up at him with eyes that glittered with affection and awe. Kurt shook his head and washed his fingers off, gripped the razor, and started slowly and carefully shaving Blaine. All the while, Kurt actively had to stop himself from looking down at all the tanned skin of Blaine's chest which was covered with a smattering of hair.

So yeah, Kurt was used to seeing Blaine shirtless, but completely nude? No, Kurt couldn't have ever prepared for that. So, Kurt had to try and teach Blaine the importance of keeping his clothes on, which was difficult when the concept was beyond what Kurt could verbally explain. On hotter days, Kurt would set out tank tops and shorts, hoping that it would keep Blaine cool enough to keep his clothes on, but there were still times when Kurt would look up only to see Blaine dropping his clothes to the floor as if it were completely normal. Kurt's face would flush and he'd avert his gaze as best he could while he gestured for Blaine to put the clothes right back on, all the while trying to keep his libido carefully in check.

Back in the present, looking down at where Blaine's hand still rested on his chest, Kurt desperately willed away the love bubbling up. This was a dangerous path that Kurt simply couldn't travel down.

He really needed to get back out into the dating world. Or get laid. Or both. Something to get rid of the building affection Kurt had for Blaine, before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you all for such lovely reviews and for sticking with this little story. I for sure have two more chapters in the work, but with my two little kitties and my puppy dog, I've been getting ideas left and right, so the story may go even longer.
> 
> Please let me know what you think, or if you have any questions I can answer.


	6. Chapter 6

Kurt was beyond bored. His date was running late and hadn't had the decency to contact him. He grumbled and pulled out his phone, flicking through his messaging app (nothing new), his Facebook (too many pictures of babies), and finally settled on his photos. He couldn't help but smile brightly at the last few pictures. It had taken fifteen tries, but he finally had a picture of both him and Blaine. He had managed to get a picture of both of them smiling at the camera, but it was the picture from one of their earlier tries that ended up being his favorite.

Kurt had been messing with the camera settings and accidentally took three rapid-fire photos. The first was extremely blurry, the second had chopped half of Blaine's face out of the photo, but the last one… Kurt had managed to capture both of them quite sharply. Kurt had a mildly frustrated look on his face as he had just realized that the camera had started snapping pictures, but it was Blaine's expression that made the picture. Blaine was cuddled up to Kurt on the couch, his tail up in the air behind him and ears flopped forward on his cheeks. He was turned to face Kurt, his eyes practically glowing with affection, a serene smile on his face, and his cheeks were tinged pink along the apples.

Kurt would be lying if he said he wasn't all aflutter over this picture. Kurt had never been in love before, and he certainly had never been loved in return. He'd give anything to have someone look at him the way Blaine was in that picture… but really, what was the big difference? Right, Blaine was a Hybrid. His version of love wasn't Kurt's, even if the expression on his face was exactly like that of his Dad's when he looked at Carole.

God, Kurt was so screwed.

"Excuse me?"

Kurt startled and looked up at the person who had spoken. "Yes?"

The man standing next to his table looked sheepish, dressed impeccably in black trousers and a dark blue button up. His blond hair was slicked back from his face. "I'm beyond sorry for being so late. I got horribly lost and then I couldn't even call you because I left my phone at home." He frowned and scratched the back of his neck. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you hadn't stuck around."

Kurt set his phone aside and grinned up at him. "I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't pissed, but I believe in second chances."

"Thank god for that," Jeremy responded, pulling out the chair across from Kurt and sitting down. "I'd hate to have messed this up."

"Yeah, well, for future reference, I only give second chances, not thirds or fourths," Kurt said with a twisted grin.

Jeremy chuckled and dropped his head. "Duly noted."

"What say we forget about you being horrifically late and get to ordering?"

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

"All right, Blaine. Why don't you go  **play**  over there?" Rachel gestured to the park where a few other Hybrids were running around.

Blaine nodded and jogged over to the far end of the park, finally slowing to a stop when he was next to Sam.

Sam was awesome, but not as awesome as Kurt. Sam was like Blaine, long ears on his head and a furry tail that swished behind him in excitement. When Rachel had first taken him to the park, Sam had been the first one to come over to him and they'd quickly started up a game of chase. Sam's Person, Mercedes, was really nice. She'd scratched behind Blaine's ears almost as perfectly as Kurt did.

There were several other People and Hybrids who frequented the park. Mike brought along his Hybrid, Tina. She seemed nice enough, even with how closely she followed Blaine around, her long, winding tail wrapping around Blaine's wrist and her slitted pupils staring unblinkingly at him. She'd rub up against his neck and shins at any given chance, a large grin widening her cheeks as she made him smell like her. Santana's Hybrid, Brittany, still confused him. Her hair fell down her back in red, blue, and yellow bits, matching the tail and wings that she used to float off the ground. Brittany spent most of her time at the park chirping and singing on a low tree branch.

Today, it looked like there were only three other people in the park. There was a Person who Blaine recognized as Jesse. He always made Rachel giggle and go red. It only took a few seconds for them to spot each other, Rachel whispering, "Go and play, Blaine," before rushing over to Jesse.

Blaine sighed and wandered over to where the other two people were standing.

"For the love of god, Sebastian, don't kill anything today," the Person said.

The Hybrid, Sebastian, glared at the boy before slithering off. He stopped short when he spotted Blaine. His eyes, a startling green, met Blaine's and his lips turned up into a smirk and he changed his path so that he could stand next to Blaine.

Blaine had never seen a Hybrid like Sebastian. There were scales that ran up the length of his neck, the color matching those of his eyes, and matching scales also made a trail down his arms. Sebastian's eyes roved up and down Blaine's body and he couldn't help but feel like Sebastian would devour him if he had the chance.

Blaine shuddered; he didn't like the way Sebastian stared at him. He bit his lip and turned away from the Hybrid, walking away from him as quickly as he could. When he felt he'd gotten far enough away, he let his breath rush out and he slumped against the nearest tree. He watched Jesse and Rachel cuddle on the park bench across the way, feeling his heart ache with a desire to experience that for himself. He loved being with Kurt and he loved the way that Kurt made him feel. Even if Kurt weren't his Person, Blaine would want to spend the rest of his life with him. Kurt made him feel like the most special person in the world and he always protected him from the bad People. Blaine loved Kurt more than he loved Eating and Playing and being Outside. He was just about to adjust the collar around his neck when a sudden shadow falling over his face startled him.

His head whipped up to see Sebastian leering down at him. He squeaked in fright and threw up his arms in defense. He went to back away but discovered that he was trapped between Sebastian and the tree behind him.

He couldn't do anything other than squeeze his eyes shut when Sebastian leaned in. There was a firm press of lips against his own and Blaine felt his heart twist painfully in his chest. He didn't know why Sebastian was doing this, but it made him sick to his stomach. He finally found the strength to push Sebastian away and take off running in the other direction.

* * *

"It makes for long days, but I enjoy it," Jeremy said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"That's good," Kurt responded. "As for me-" Kurt trailed off when his phone rang. Normally, Kurt would ignore it while on a date, but this was Rachel's ringtone and immediately, Kurt felt his body break out in a cold sweat. "I'm sorry, I need to take this," Kurt said, standing up and quickly accepting the call. "Rachel, is everything okay?"

Rachel's hesitance made Kurt's breath hitch in his chest.

"Rachel?"

" _ImayhavelostBlaine_ ," Rachel said without a single breath.

"What?"

"I may have lost Blaine," Rachel repeated more slowly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU MAY HAVE LOST BLAINE?!"

Rachel choked out a sob. "We were at the park and I only looked away for a moment and suddenly he was gone."

Kurt ran to his car, yanking the door open, and starting it up with shaking hands. "I'll be there soon. Please… please keep looking for him. I can't lose him," Kurt begged, sniffling and steering the car toward the park.

Kurt wasn't quite sure how safely he drove because he was suddenly at the park with no recollection of how he got there. He threw the car into park and hopped out, not even turning the car off before rushing over to where Rachel was. Kurt barely noticed the man at her side.

"Kurt, I'm so sor-"

"Shut up. Just tell me where you last saw him."

Rachel paled and pointed to the grove of trees to their left. Kurt ran over, shouting Blaine's name as loudly as he could. He could hear Rachel off to his side also calling out for Blaine. Kurt didn't know how long he and Rachel ran around looking for Blaine, but the day kept getting darker and Kurt was getting more and more frantic.

On a third pass of the perimeter, Kurt spotted a dark lump under one of the play structures. "Blaine?" Kurt threw himself to his knees and reached out carefully, tears rolling down his cheeks when he was certain of who it was. The Hybrid was curled into a ball under the stairway, sound asleep.

"Blaine," Kurt exhaled, shaking him lightly. "Blaine, I'm here."

Blaine's body jerked and terrified eyes flew open to meet Kurt's. He looked completely disbelieving, as if he was still in a dream. At the touch of Kurt's hands, Blaine seemed to finally understand what had happened. He whimpered and threw himself into Kurt's arms.

"I was so worried, Blaine. I don't know what I'd do without you. We're family, remember?" Kurt tightened his arms around Blaine and pressed his face into Blaine's neck, tears falling hot and fast as he finally let himself feel relief now that Blaine was in his arms again. Kurt pulled back and allowed himself to press a soft kiss to Blaine's forehead. Blaine looked up at Kurt in awe, forehead crinkling in confusion when he felt one of Kurt's tears fall onto the top of his hand.

Blaine leaned in closer to Kurt's face, hands coming up to cradle his cheeks in his hands. Blaine frowned as he watched more tears fall down Kurt's face. Blaine used both of his hands to wipe frantically at them, getting more frustrated when he couldn't stop them. Kurt couldn't help but giggle at the pout of Blaine's lips and he pulled Blaine back into a big hug. "God, I love you so much, Blaine. I can't lose you."

Kurt had been saying that a lot more, admitting that he loved Blaine. He'd been a little taken aback the first time he'd said it. It had been the day that Blaine had tried to laugh, looking so uncertain, but trying so hard to please him. That fluttery feeling had taken over his chest and he'd just said it. Because he did love Blaine, desperately, but not in a romantic way, per se. Sure, if Blaine wasn't a Hybrid, he'd be crushing on him hard, but circumstances as they were, he found himself loving him in a fond friendship way as opposed to romantic love. He was proud of all of Blaine's accomplishments and he wanted to spend every day learning more about him and seeing him continue to grow. He was Kurt's best friend, in an unconventional sort of way.

Kurt pulled away enough to take Blaine's face in his hands. "Don't ever scare me like that again," Kurt said firmly. Blaine, looking much less terrified now that he was in Kurt's arms, still didn't look entirely aware of why Kurt was so upset. He placed his own hands on Kurt's ribs and pressed his face against Kurt's neck.

Kurt felt Blaine's tongue dart out and drag up Kurt's neck a few times, and he felt the rush of air against his collarbone when Blaine breathed in deeply. Kurt's body jolted when he felt Blaine's tongue catch on his earlobe and he shakily pulled back.

"Oh, thank god," he heard Rachel say from behind him. "You found him."

Kurt turned around and glared at her. "No thanks to you," he said through gritted teeth.

Rachel's eyes widened and she held up her arms in surrender. "Geez, Kurt, I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, well sorry wouldn't have cut it if he'd been truly lost."

"Kurt, I'm so-"

They paused when they felt a small hand on their own. Blaine, looking extremely sad, looked between the two of them as he pulled Rachel's hand over to Kurt's and intertwined them, patting the top with his own hand and nodding in satisfaction.

Kurt sighed and looked apologetically at Rachel. "I'm sorry for yelling," he said quietly.

Rachel shook her head. "I should have been paying better attention."

Kurt looked over at Blaine and ruffled his hair lightly. "The most important thing is that he's safe."

Rachel squatted down in front of Blaine. "I'm sorry that I lost track of you, Blaine. I'm a really crappy guardian, huh?"

Blaine analyzed her expression with a hint of confusion before he nodded, leaning towards her and pressing a soft, albeit wet, kiss to her forehead, exactly as Kurt had done to him earlier.

Rachel let out a watery giggle. "You're too precious for your own good, Blaine."

It was only now that Kurt noticed the dampness on his legs and the light shivers racking Blaine's body. "Oh, god. You must be freezing. Let's get you home and warmed up."

Blaine perked up at that and he nodded, letting Kurt help him to his feet. Kurt looped an arm under Blaine's when he noticed how unsteady he was, probably from the lack of use for his legs. Kurt ignored the buzzing of his cellphone, belatedly realizing that he'd run off on his date with Jeremy with no explanation.  _Whoops_. Honestly though: Blaine was more important. There were a million other Jeremy's, but there was only one Blaine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience. I've been down for the count (and sort of still am) after having my wisdom teeth removed. If there's any serious errors in this, let me know. I'm high on pain meds and bleary with a migraine too, so yay.
> 
> Reviews are always helpful. I've got one more chapter planned for this, but if you have any prompts or questions, let me know!


	7. Chapter 7

After the ordeal at the park, Kurt's been staying at home more often than not, telling himself that he could just as easily work at home as he can from the office. Plus, playing outside with Blaine in their backyard was a big help on getting the creative juices flowing and being in the fresh air was nice too, right? Besides, Blaine seemed a lot more confident and happy when Kurt was at home, so it was the best choice for everyone.

Blaine had gotten a lot more physically affectionate since then, too. Blaine spent nearly every night in Kurt's bed with him and he'd either sit next to Kurt on the couch or against his legs if Kurt was in the single chair. There were times when he'd have to move away from Blaine for a moment, if only to let his body cool and the sweat dry off his skin. Blaine was like his own personal space heater, radiating heat off of him in waves.

Now that Kurt had broken to 'kiss to the cheek' barrier, Blaine would kiss his cheek or nuzzle against Kurt whenever he was feeling particularly happy, which made Kurt's heart flip and beat out of control, and made him forget for a moment that Blaine wasn't a human. The other night, just as Kurt was about to fall asleep, Blaine's tongue making small licks against his neck, he jolted when he felt a tiny prick of teeth against his Adam's apple.  _The hell?_  Kurt blinked his eyes open and lifted his head slightly so he could look at Blaine. "What are you doing?" he couldn't help but ask, narrowing his eyes at him. Blaine opened his eyes as well and smiled up at Kurt. "You can't just…" Kurt trailed off, huffing. "You can't go around biting people, Blaine."

He frowned when Blaine obviously didn't understand. Kurt gently reached out and lifted up Blaine's upper lip and pressed a finger against one of Blaine's canines. "No," he said calmly, pointing with his other finger at his own neck. "No biting."

Blaine pouted, twisting himself so that he was facing away from Kurt.

Kurt sighed. "I'm not angry with you, Blaine. I'm just… it's not polite to bite," he tried to explain, wrapping his arm around Blaine's middle and hugging him to his chest. "I love you," he offered quietly.

He waited for any sort of response from Blaine, relieved when he felt Blaine pull his arm closer around him and snuggled himself into Kurt's embrace, licking once at Kurt's hand before relaxing into sleep.

There were times when Kurt let himself imagine for a moment that Blaine was his boyfriend. It was easy, too, and it got easier every day. Blaine was always so affectionate, only able to communicate with touch and facial expressions. He was tactile, moreso than any other person that Kurt had met and it made things difficult for Kurt because it was getting harder and harder to push away his own feelings.

 _Enough_ , Kurt berated himself. Blaine wasn't and would never be his boyfriend. It would be wrong on so many levels and it would be unfair to both himself and Blaine to even try.

Kurt sighed and refocused on the TV show, trying to figure out what he'd missed while he'd been lost in his thoughts. Not recognizing any of the characters on the screen, Kurt realized the show had already ended and a new one had started. Kurt groaned and flicked the monitor off.

Kurt's stomach growled; he guessed he could make some dinner. Kurt turned to ask Blaine what he wanted and was surprised to find the room empty. Now that Kurt thought about it, Blaine hadn't been around since breakfast, and he hadn't really eaten much. Kurt stood up and went to his bedroom, feeling his heart break when he saw Blaine curled up in a ball, shivering and groaning, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Oh, Blaine," Kurt cried, kneeling down next to him and placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Are you all right, baby?"

Blaine didn't even acknowledge Kurt, curling into himself further and clutching his torso with shaking hands, a whimper escaping his lips.

"Oh god, what's wrong?" Kurt cried, cupping Blaine's face in his hands. "Are you hurt?"

Blaine only groaned louder, the color in his face paling into a sickly white. Kurt pulled out his phone and fumbled with it until he could pull up the right number.

"Hello," the receptionist answered on the second ring.

"Hi, this is Kurt Hummel. My Hybrid Blaine is in a lot of pain. Is there any way Dr. Ono can fit us in today," he asked, surprised that there was barely a tremble in his voice.

"Of course, Kurt. I'll alert the doctor right away. Do you know how quickly you'll be here?"

"20 minutes?" Kurt guessed, already standing up and walking towards the main door so that he could slip on his shoes and grab his keys. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Drive safely."

Kurt hurried back to the bedroom. "Blaine, we're going to go see Dr. Ono. Can you stand up?"

Blaine looked up at Kurt, his eyelashes wet with the sweat trailing down his forehead. After a moment, he held out one of his hands, silently asking for Kurt's help to move.

Kurt wasn't quite sure how they managed it, but it wasn't long before Kurt was helping Blaine into his shoes, shuffling out to the car, and starting their trip to the doctor.

The car ride to the doctor was difficult to say the least. Blaine was clearly uncomfortable and spent the majority of the ride groaning in pain and squirming in his seat. Several times during the ride Blaine nearly wormed his way out of the seatbelt. Kurt, eyes on the road as much as he could, reached over with his right hand and tried his best to get Blaine back into his seat.

"Blaine, please… I know it hurts, baby, but you have to stay in your seat," Kurt said, using his hand to push Blaine back into a seated position. At the next red light, Kurt leaned over and pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead, cringing when he felt how clammy it was. "They're going to make you feel better," Kurt promised, hoping that that statement was true.

Finally, they were at the clinic. Kurt turned the car off and hurried out the door and over to Blaine's side. "We're here, sweetheart," Kurt said, removing Blaine's seatbelt and helping him out of the car.

Blaine seemed to be even worse for wear as they stumbled to the clinic. Kurt was thankful when someone from inside the clinic opened the door from them and ushered them in. "Mr. Hummel?" the woman asked.

Kurt nodded. "Please help him," he responded.

She nodded, directing him and Blaine into the nearest exam room. "I'll go get Dr. Ono for you."

"Thank you." Kurt helped Blaine onto the exam table and smiled at him. He brushed some of Blaine's curls off his forehead. "Hey there, Blaine."

Blaine did his best to return Kurt's smile, hands curled protectively around his stomach. He jumped when the door to their room opened and the nurse entered with the doctor right behind her.

"Hello Blaine," The doctor greeted, smiling at him. "I hear you're not feeling very well." She turned to face Kurt. "Can you tell me a little about what's going on?"

"He's been holding his stomach and he's in a lot of pain. He's paler than normal and I've never seen him this weak."

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" She pulled up a chair so that she could be more at Blaine's level. "I'm going to do some tests, and I promise I will make it as stress-free as possible."

Blaine frowned at her and moved closer to Kurt.

Kurt bit his lip and patted Blaine's knee. "Blaine, you have to let the doctor run her tests. Can you be brave for me?" Blaine looked up at Kurt with eyes full of sadness. Kurt leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead. "It's going to be okay, baby."

The nurse watched their interaction carefully with a small frown on her face, but she wisely stayed silent.

Blaine pouted at Kurt, looking betrayed.

The doctor pulled out a few instruments from the drawer in the cabinet next to her. "Okay, Blaine. First I'm going to take your temperature." She held out the thermometer.

Blaine narrowed his eyes at the instrument and scooted closer to Kurt, grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling it into his chest and gripping it tightly. The doctor reached out slowly and rolled the thermometer across Blaine's forehead. Blaine reared back and scrunched his nose up adorably.

"101, perfect," the doctor commented, jotting it down on the laptop in front of her.

Kurt gasped. "Oh my god, does he have a fever?"

Dr. Ono smiled. "Hybrids run at a higher temperature than humans, typically between 100.5 and 102.5. This is a perfectly normal temperature."

Kurt sighed in relief and let the doctor finish her tests. She listened to his heart and lungs, frowning in empathy as Blaine groaned throughout it.

"Can you lay back for me, Blaine?" she asked, gesturing towards the exam table behind Blaine. Blaine looked over at Kurt with a confused look on his face.

Kurt mimicked sleeping with his hands beneath his cheek and then he put a hand on Blaine's shoulder and gently pressed it so that Blaine started to lay back. "Good job, Blaine," Kurt said, smiling at him.

Blaine smiled slightly back and then looked up at the doctor.

"I'm going to press on your abdomen, Blaine. I'm sorry if I make you hurt worse." She placed her palm on Blaine's stomach and pressed down lightly. It wasn't until she reached his right side that Blaine yelped in pain and nearly leapt off the table. Blaine crowded himself into Kurt, whimpering in pain and intermittently growling at the doctor. "I think I have my diagnosis," the doctor concluded.

Kurt cradled Blaine in his arms and nervously asked, "What's wrong with Blaine?"

"I'm fairly certain he has appendicitis," she said. "It's a good thing you brought him in, Mr. Hummel. We have just enough time to prep him for surgery."

"Surgery," Kurt yelped, making Blaine startle. "Sorry," he apologized and lowered his voice. "Is that the only way to correct this?"

"I'm afraid so," she responded. "It's fairly straight forward. He looks to be healthy and he's young, so recovery should be quite simple for him."

Even with her calmness and her confident tone, Kurt couldn't help but be extremely worried. His mother, god rest her soul, had died during her mastectomy when Kurt was only eight years old. He'd been terrified of hospitals and surgeries ever since, convinced the same fate would befall him or his father. He looked down at Blaine and tears filled his eyes. "I can't lose him," he whispered, raising his eyes to meet the doctor's.

Dr. Ono smiled and placed a hand on Kurt's knee. "We're going to take good care of Blaine, Kurt. I promise that he's in the best hands."

"But you can't promise that he'll be okay. You can't promise that he'll make it through."

The doctor sighed. "No, you're right. I can't promise those things. But I promise that I'll do everything in my power to make this surgery go as smoothly as possible and give him his best chance."

Kurt bit his lip and looked down at Blaine who was still quivering in his lap. He clearly wasn't understanding a word they were saying, not just because his lack of understanding the human language, but also the pain that was ravaging him. "Can I have a moment with him alone?"

The doctor nodded. "I'll give you a few moments, but we'll need to prep him for surgery."

"Thank you." Kurt waited until the doctor and nurse left before turning back to Blaine. "Hey, baby. How are you feeling?"

Blaine whimpered and nestled into Kurt.

"I know it hurts. I wish there was something more I could do for you, but surgery is the only option." Kurt sighed. "How do I explain this to you?" He tilted Blaine's head up so that he was looking him in the eye. "The doctor," he pointed to the door where she'd just left through, "is going to help you fall asleep and then they're going to take away your pain," he said, pointing to his abdomen. "Do you understand that?"

Blaine narrowed his eyes, looking like he was trying to put all the pieces together.

"They're going to make you feel better." Kurt said. "They'll make the pain go away and then they'll let you come back home."

Blaine perked up at that, his tail moving back and forth a few centimeters, the first time it had moved since they'd arrived at the office.

Kurt was interrupted from continuing by the nurse poking her head in the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Hummel, but the doctor needs to get him into the OR."

Kurt nodded, turning back to Blaine. "Can you go with the nurse for me?" he asked, frowning when Blaine clearly didn't understand. Kurt gently pulled Blaine to his feet and walked him over to the nurse. "Go with the nurse," he said again, pointing at her.

Blaine frowned and his chest rumbled with a low growl. He maneuvered himself so that he was behind Kurt, glaring at the nurse.

"Blaine, enough. You need to go with her. Please," Kurt begged. "You're going to be okay," Kurt said, swallowing the bile that rose at the promise that Kurt couldn't guarantee was true. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Blaine looked at the nurse and shook his head, taking Kurt's hand in his own and holding tight.

"Blaine, please. Don't fight this. Don't make this harder than it already is," Kurt said, tears pooling in his eyes.

Blaine frowned, wiping at the tears falling down Kurt's face. He spent a few seconds looking Kurt over before he looked at the nurse, expression still full of disdain. He made a noise almost like a sigh and took the few steps that put him in front of the nurse. He turned to look back at Kurt, as if he were waiting for his approval.

Kurt smiled. "Thank you," he said, taking a deep breath. He hesitated a moment before walking over to him and hugging Blaine tightly (minding his sore abdomen), kissing his forehead before finally pulling back. "I'll be right here when you're done."

Blaine reluctantly followed the nurse out the door and Kurt couldn't help but notice the finality of the door slamming shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, thank you for all your well wishes! I'm finally getting back to normal.
> 
> Secondly, thank you all for your patience. I got addicted to the Game of Thrones game and subsequently now feel obligated to watch the show, so my mind has been in other places. I hope you like the new chapter. It's pulled directly from my own terrors of my little kittens going in for their spay and having this nagging sensation that one or both wouldn't make it though. Poor Blaine, having enough knowledge to know something is wrong, but unable to be told why it's happening and that they're going to make him feel better.
> 
> Reviews are awesome - let's me know what's working and what isn't. Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt tried to lose himself in a magazine, but his eyes kept returning to the clock face every 10 or so minutes, getting more anxious every time. As one hour turned into two, Kurt started chewing on his cuticles, knee bouncing so much that he was able to hear his heel hit the floor. When he spotted the nurse, he nearly flew out of his seat.

"Mr. Hummel, if you'll follow me?"

"How's Blaine?" Kurt was quick to ask.

"He's okay. The Doctor will be in shortly to go over everything, but he's doing well; don't worry."

Once he was in the room, he barely had time to sit before the doctor joined him. "Everything went really well with the surgery. His appendix hadn't burst, so it was pretty straightforward. It'll be a few hours until he's fully awake, but I've set up a room so that you can be with him. He'll need to spend the night and then we'll re-evaluate tomorrow if he'll need another night here or if he can go home."

"Thank you," Kurt responded, shaking her hand. He followed her through the doorway and down the hall, until they were finally in one of the rooms near the back of the hospital. Blaine was reclined on a hospital bed, a fluid line in his arm and his heart monitor beeping steadily beside him.

"We gave him the reversal agent a moment ago, so he should start slowly waking up soon. There's a button on the wall there if you need anything. I'll be back in a half hour or so to check on you."

Kurt couldn't take his eyes off of Blaine. He looked so little and fragile lying there. The color still hadn't returned to his cheeks and his hair was limp against his forehead. Kurt took Blaine's hand and bent over so that he could kiss Blaine on the cheek. "I'm going to be right by your side… I'm going to take care of you. I'll never say goodbye to you," he promised.

* * *

The first thing Blaine remembered after Kurt took him to the Bad Place was waking up in the comfort of Kurt's bed and the warmth of Kurt's body beneath his cheek. The second thing was the awful burst of pain when he tried to move. A strangled noise rose from his throat, his eyes squeezing shut to try and get rid of the spots of light in his vision.

This was the worst day of Blaine's entire life – and he'd had a lot of bad days.

Kurt must have heard him cry out; he sat up swiftly, eyes wide. "Blaine?"

Blaine's stomach was on fire. What did the People at the Bad Place do to him?

Kurt grabbed a cup from the table and two little white circles. "Blaine, I have something that will take the pain away." Kurt held them closer to Blaine. "Open up."

Blaine opened his mouth obediently. Kurt popped the little circles onto his tongue. Blaine grimaced when a horrific taste spread across his tongue. Before the gag could spasm Blaine's throat, Kurt held up the glass of water to his lips. Blaine took a swallow of water, forcing the circles to go down with it.

As it settled into his stomach, Blaine coughed, smacking his lips a couple times with another grimace. There were many things about Kurt that he loved, but recently he'd done many things that were not so nice. Blaine had been trying to show affection to Kurt in the only way he knew how and Kurt had rejected him: with other Hybrids, nipping at each other's necks was a common sign of affection, but Kurt had stopped him the last time he'd tried that. He'd made him go to the Bad Place. And now he'd made him swallow these disgusting circles. But there were more bad things to come.

The Mitts… Blaine  _hated_  the Mitts. Blaine's stomach itched and all he wanted to do was scratch it until it went away. Kurt kept telling him No and he'd bat at Blaine's hands until he stopped. He waited until Kurt wasn't looking before he'd start scratching at it again.

Finally, Kurt seemed to have had enough and he'd pulled out the Mitts from the Kitchen drawer and sat Blaine down so that he could put them on Blaine's hands.

"No more scratching, Blaine," Kurt had warned, narrowing his eyes at Blaine as he put some tape around the bottom of the Mitts to keep them secure. "It's not time for another of your  **pills** yet. Why don't we  **watch**  a  **movie**  to take your mind off things?"

Blaine narrowed his eyes. Kurt couldn't distract him with Movies when he'd clearly heard him mention Pills. Pills were the worst thing ever, even worse than the circles he'd made Blaine swallow in the beginning. Kurt made him chew the Pills and they were gross. They made his mouth taste funny and he didn't like them one bit. He'd tried the last time that Kurt had come at him with the Pills to close his mouth as tight as he could, but that had only made Kurt mad, his face turning red and his mouth all twisted. "Blaine, that's enough! The  **pills**  will make you feel better!"

Blaine had stubbornly held his mouth shut, determined to avoid taking it this time.

"Fine!" Kurt huffed, throwing the pill onto the table and storming off. "See if I care when you come crying to me later."

Blaine watched Kurt walk away, not understanding the weird clenching of his heart, the same feeling he'd gotten recently when Kurt would have water pour out of his eyes and his breath would hitch in that weird way. He'd done something wrong and he had to fix it.

Blaine picked up the pill from where it had bounced across the table. He wandered over to the living room where Kurt was standing with his arms across his chest, scrunched down on the couch with a fiery expression on his face.

* * *

Kurt couldn't believe the nerve of Blaine.  _Why couldn't he just take the medicine? Why did he have to be such a turd about it?_ Kurt was nearly at his wit's end with him. He loved the Hybrid, but boy did he get mad at him sometimes, too. He crossed his arms over his chest and sunk down deeper into the couch.

Kurt was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of shuffling feet behind him. He turned to see a repentant Blaine standing in the doorway to the living room. "Blaine?"

Blaine held up his hand, the pill Kurt had tried to give Blaine earlier between his pointer finger and thumb. He watched Blaine take a deep breath and force the pill past his lips. Through a large pout, Blaine's face and mouth moved as if it took an extreme effort to chew it. He finished swallowing with his face twisting into a grimace.

Kurt felt a giggle bubble up in his throat. "Oh my god," Kurt said, laughing. He stood up and pulled Blaine into a hug, rocking him back and forth. "What am I going to do with you, you adorable man?" He pulled back slightly and smiled at Blaine. "I love you so much."

Blaine beamed at Kurt, tail swishing back and forth behind him, brushing against the coffee table behind him and knocking a magazine off of it. He jumped and pulled his tail into his hands, looking with wide eyes.

Kurt snickered. "It's okay, Blaine." He took Blaine's hands in his. "I'm so happy that you're feeling better. I was… I was so worried when you were hurting. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he admitted.

Blaine tilted his head, trying to figure out what Kurt was saying.

"I love you," Kurt repeated, running his fingers through Blaine's hair, "more than I could have ever imagined." Kurt pressed his right hand over Blaine's heart, trying to communicate as best he could.

Blaine smiled and mimicked the gesture, hand to Kurt's heart. Kurt used his free hand to scratch his ears. Blaine closed his eyes in contentment, leaning into the touch, tail thumping behind him. Kurt moved his right hand to Blaine's other ear and stroked his hand lightly down it, finally scratching at the base of it.

Blaine groaned deep in his chest and nearly fell forward, his hands barely catching himself on Kurt's waist. His eyes fluttered open and met Kurt's, an unreadable expression his face. Blaine leaned up on his toes and pressed his mouth to Kurt's, not giving Kurt any time to react other than to part his lips in shock.

It took several moments to process what was happening. Blaine had kissed him. He was kissing Blaine. At first all Kurt could do was suck in a quick breath through his nostrils. This was everything he'd dreamed about on those nights where he couldn't push away his attraction to Blaine. Those nights, he allowed himself to picture Blaine as, not his Hybrid, but his boyfriend.

He let his imaginings swirl through him. It had been a long time since Kurt had kissed someone he cared for… that he loved. Kurt curled his fingers into Blaine's hair, pulling him closer. God he had missed this, the warmth of another man's body beneath his fingers and soft lips against his own. Sure, these lips were inexperienced, the tongue wet and awkward against Kurt's bottom lip, a tail brushing against his wrist…

Kurt abruptly pulled back. What the hell was he doing?

* * *

Kissing Kurt was amazing. When he and Kurt had watched the Movies, Blaine saw many people make their mouths touch, 'Kissing' as Kurt had called it. There were other things that the People in the Movies had done – holding hands, dancing, sleeping in the same bed… he and Kurt had done those things and they'd all been amazing. He loved Kurt and everything they did together, but this? Kissing? Kissing was the best thing ever.

Kurt had been scratching his ears, another amazing thing that Kurt did, and Blaine had been overcome. He'd wanted to try Kissing for a while now, to see if it felt as wonderful as those other things. And boy, was it.

Blaine's tail had always gotten the better of him when he got excited. While he was kissing Kurt, his tail went bonkers, wagging back and forth with such force that Blaine's body swayed with it. His hands flexed against Kurt's waist and his tongue lolled out the left side of his mouth, licking across Kurt's lower lip in the process.

As much as Blaine liked many other things, like going Outside, and Eating, and playing with friends at the Park, Blaine liked this best. He could see himself doing Kissing with Kurt forever.

Just as suddenly as it had started, Kurt had stopped it. Blaine whined at the loss of contact, hands grasping fruitlessly at Kurt's waist. This was bad – this Not Kissing. This was the worst thing ever, worse than the Bad Place. He'd go back there to be cut open again and again if Kurt would just starting Kissing him again.

"No no no no no no no no," Kurt said, hands pressed against his mouth and his skin draining of color. "This is  **bad,** this is **bad,** this is so **bad**!"

 _Bad? Kissing isn't Bad. Kissing is the best thing ever!_  But how could Blaine communicate that with Kurt? Blaine took a few steps closer to Kurt, frowning when Kurt shook his head and stepped back.

"No," Kurt said, pointing his finger at Blaine. "No." Kurt's chin quivered and a single tear rolled down his cheek. He turned around and walked to his room, shutting the door swiftly behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this chapter - it's a bit different than the others because I tried to show both of their perspectives and still keep the story moving. I'm not sure if it worked, but it's all I could do.
> 
> Please let me know what you think. There's probably only one more chapter of this left.
> 
> Thanks again for your reviews!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for such a long wait on this. I got caught up in the Advent challenge, which actually helped get my muse back for this. I hope this chapter more than makes up for the wait.

 

Kurt threw himself onto the bed and curled into a little ball. He'd really fucked it all up now. He wasn't ever supposed to cross that line with Blaine and yet he had. He'd turned their relationship into something disgusting, forcing himself on someone who couldn't possibly understand what it all meant.

Kurt didn't know if they could ever come back from that.

He wiped his nose on his sleeve, trying to stifle his tears. He was startled by the sound of the bedroom door opening behind him. Even if Blaine hadn't been the only other person in the house, Kurt would know it was him. The shuffling of his feet, the breath that comes a little bit quicker than Kurt's own, even the smell – all of it uniquely Blaine.

He wants to turn over and face him, but he can't bear to. He doesn't want to see that face, it had been so heartbroken when he'd pulled away from the kiss, even if he couldn't possibly understand love and affection like humans could.

So instead, he lay in wait, curious as to what Blaine would do next. He held his breath when he felt the dip of the bed as Blaine crawled in beside him. It only took a few seconds for Blaine to wiggle his way closer to Kurt and slowly snake his arm over Kurt's torso.

Kurt wanted nothing more than to turn over and face Blaine, to take him into his arms and kiss him senseless. It's wasn't fair. Why couldn't things be simpler between them? Kurt didn't know, he was unsure if he'd ever know. So instead of wallowing in self-pity and regret, he pulled Blaine's arm closer around him and let himself fall into a restless sleep.

He woke up to Blaine snuffling into his neck, his arm tight around Kurt's waist. Kurt let himself enjoy it for a little while, still lost in the remnants of his dream where he and Blaine, a human Blaine, had been living together, happy and in love. It wasn't until Kurt registered Blaine's tail against his thigh that he had to resign himself to the truth.

Kurt slipped out from under Blaine's arm as quietly as he could, sighing in relief when Blaine simply curled up into Kurt's pillow and continued to sleep. Kurt prepared a quick breakfast, anxious to see how Blaine would act once he woke up.

Kurt flicked the oven off when he heard the shuffling of feet in the bedroom, turning so that he could see Blaine first thing. Blaine looked adorably disheveled when he entered the kitchen, yawning widely and scratching his fingers against his left ear, blinking sleepily at Kurt. When he spotted Kurt, Blaine's mouth widened into a smile. Kurt could tell that Blaine must have registered Kurt's uncomfortableness from last night because his smile didn't meet his eyes and he didn't immediately go up to Kurt to hug him like he usually did.

Kurt took a deep breath, accepting that this was for the best, that Blaine being more platonic and less physical with him was better for them both.

Kurt didn't know if Blaine completely understood the change that had happened between them, or if he could sense the tension, but he never tried to kiss Kurt again. Things went back to normal, or as close to normal as they could be given the circumstances.

They still enjoyed their meals together and made trips to the park as often as they could. Blaine seemed happy, but not as ecstatic and eager as he had been before. It was as if Blaine had lost a bit of his heart when Kurt had rejected him, and Kurt couldn't help but hate himself for it. Blaine deserved to be truly happy, but how did Kurt facilitate that?

Kurt wished, not for the first time, that he could find a way to actually communicate with Blaine. Everything about this situation would be vastly different if only they could truly understand each other. If he could just get into Blaine's brain and see how he saw the world, maybe they could find a way to make this work. Maybe he could see just how much Blaine comprehended of the world and how relationships worked, and not feel so guilty about forcing this onto someone who clearly couldn't understand the complexities of it all.

Why did this have to be so hard? He huffed and pulled out his cellphone, flicking open the search app. ' _Falling in love with your Hybrid_ ' he typed out first, blushing and deleting it before retyping ' _Understanding your Hybrid_ '.

The first few search results lead him to books: he favorited the sites for later perusal and continued scrolling, stopping when he saw a website promoting a Hybrid behaviorist. Intrigued, he opened the link.

The site described a woman who was a certified behaviorist, specializing in Canine Hybrids and their relationships to their owners. He clicked over to her price list, pleasantly surprised at how affordable the sessions were, making the decision to set up a consult before he'd even really thought about it.

* * *

Theresa Silverstein-Fornier was her name, a pretentious name for a surprisingly down to earth person. She had a kind smile and she put Kurt at ease the second she stepped through his door.

"So, tell me about you and Blaine," Theresa started, crossing her left leg over her right and smiling at him.

Kurt bit his lip, debating just how honest to be with her. There weren't any laws about Hybrids, so there wasn't anything he could get in trouble for, but he hated being judged, especially not on his own terms.

"Listen, Kurt, I'm going to be honest here," she said, interrupting him from his thoughts. "I see many different humans and hybrids on my visits. I see everyone from those that need obedience training for their 'dogs'," she said, making the quotations with her fingers, "to those who are in relationships with their companions. Everyone is different and I don't judge the situations I consult on. As long as the Hybrid is being treated kindly and fairly, I don't criticize or critique."

Kurt blinked quickly, shocked at what she said.

Theresa smiled. "It's rare, I know, in this day and age. So, please, Kurt, be honest with me."

Kurt took a deep breath. "I think I'm falling in love with him," he admitted, his breath whooshing out of him with the admittance.

Theresa smiled warmly at him.

"I love him and I hate myself for it."

"Why is that?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in a way that was so much like Blaine that it threw Kurt for a moment.

"Because he's not a human. He can't love like that."

"That's where you're wrong. Hybrids have the ability to love, in ways similar and different to the way we ourselves love. Their senses are much more attuned to the world than our own. They can hear and smell so much more than we can. Emotions, pheromones – they understand so much more than we give them credit for. They're so much more open than we are; they don't judge or hold grudges. They're like us but…. a version most of us could never be."

"But it's still not the same."

"No, unfortunately it's not. They cannot verbally proclaim their love, but neither can they be affected by politics or social etiquette or anything else that changes the way that humans love. Hybrids love with everything inside of them and it rarely ever waivers. We just have to understand that and take that into consideration. If we understand the way they see the world, the way they love, we are able to make real relationships work. To love and be loved in return, even if it's not what everyone else deems 'normal'."

"So, what does that mean for me?"

Theresa smiled at him once more. "Well, I'd like to meet with Blaine. I'd like to see what he is thinking and feeling and I can talk with you further after that. All I can advise right now is that you go into this with an open mind. Hybrids are intelligent, moreso that most people realize, and once we acknowledge that, the world we share will be a much better place."

Kurt was already feeling better about scheduling this consultation with her. He stood up and went to the backyard where he'd left Blaine to play while he and Theresa talked. Blaine looked up at Kurt and smiled, following him inside. He looked a little uncertain when he spotted Theresa in the living room.

His tail drooped behind him and he reached out for Kurt's hand, something he hadn't done since their kiss, gripping it tightly and eying Theresa warily.

"Hello, Blaine. I'm Theresa," she said, smiling at him. "It's very nice to meet you."

At her kind tone, Blaine hesitantly returned Theresa's smile, even if he looked mildly confused.

She sat herself down onto the floor and patted the space beside her. Blaine's forehead scrunched up, but when Kurt squeezed his hand and nodded, Blaine sat himself down as well. Theresa reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of what looked to be photographs. She set them down one by one so that they were facing Blaine. "Blaine," she said, waiting until he looked back at her. "Can you show me what you like?"

Blaine looked down at the pictures and then back up at Theresa, looking adorably confused. Kurt could understand why. The pictures that she laid out were a hodgepodge of topics.

She held up a picture of a landscape. "Do you like the outdoors, Blaine?"

Blaine squinted at the picture and looked to Kurt as if asking for an explanation.

"Outdoors," Kurt prompted. "She's asking if you like going outdoors."

Blaine nodded enthusiastically, wiggling where he sat.

"It's hard keeping him inside some days," Kurt said with a chuckle.

Theresa set down the picture and reached for another. This time, it was a random group of foods. "Do you like any of these foods?"

Blaine leaned forward and squinted at the picture. When he spotted a plate of fries, he broke out into a wide grin.

"Do you like this one?" Theresa asked, pointing at the pile of what looked like green beans. Blaine looked only for a second at the beans before shaking his head and pointing at the fries. "Ooh, fries. I love those too, Blaine."

She switched out the picture for another and another, quickly going through the pile and getting a feel for Blaine through his likes and dislikes.

Finally, she held up her final picture. It was of Kurt, one that Kurt had provided for her when she'd first arrived. "Blaine, do you like Kurt?"

Blaine's eyes widened and he reached out carefully for the picture, stroking his finger down Kurt's cheek. Blaine's smile was gigantic when he looked back up at Theresa.

"I guess that answers that question." Theresa gathered up her pictures and placed them back in her bag. Kurt watched with mild amusement as Blaine clutched Kurt's picture to his chest, cradling it against his heart. "I'll send you my official evaluation this afternoon, but I think it's safe to say you are more understanding of where your relationship stands?"

Kurt nodded. "Thank you, Theresa. You have no idea how much this helped." He shook her hand and walked her to the door, waiting for her to get into her car before closing the door. He turned to face Blaine, pulling him into a tight hug and just breathing him in. He loved Blaine, beyond anything Kurt could have possibly imagined and Theresa had helped him see that Blaine could love him back too, in his own way.

Kurt dropped the final wall around his heart and he pulled Blaine into a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews will help me know if you liked where this went and if you'd like to see it continue.


	10. Chapter 10

Blaine had been very sad when Kurt had pulled away from him after their first Kiss all those days ago. He didn't know what he'd done wrong, but suddenly Kurt wouldn't touch him anymore and he wouldn't really look at him. He stopped hugging him and it broke Blaine's heart.

After that woman that showed him the pictures had stopped over, things with Kurt changed completely. Suddenly, they were Kissing again and life was amazing.

Blaine's new favorite thing was kissing Kurt on their bed. Kurt would wake him up with the sweetest kiss and at night, they'd spend a very long time kissing and kissing until one of them drifted off into sleep.

Last night had been magical. Kurt had taken a blanket outside and they had laid down together, looking up at the sky. Blaine reached out to hold Kurt's hand, feeling his chest get all fluttery when Kurt smiled brightly at him, squeezing his hand back.

Blaine couldn't stop himself from leaning over and kissing Kurt. He could feel Kurt's smile under his lips, his body turning so that he could pull Blaine into his embrace. When Kurt coaxed his mouth open, Blaine pushed himself closer and slid his tongue into Kurt's mouth, something Kurt seemed to really enjoy.

Kurt's hands ran down Blaine's back, pulling him impossibly closer, pushing into the kiss so that their mouths could barely pull apart even to breathe. God, Blaine felt like the luckiest person in the world to be able to share moments like this with Kurt. Kurt always talked about Love and it wasn't until he finally got to share all of this with Kurt that he truly understood it.

Love was seeing Kurt's smile every day, and spending time together, even when they weren't doing anything. It was even the smallest of kisses as they passed each other in the house, or the look on Kurt's face when Blaine pulled some flowers from the garden and gave them to him, the tears in his eyes as he hugged him and then took him to their room and spent the rest of the night kissing and laying together. Love was the flutter in his heart when he thought of Kurt, and the burning in his belly when Kurt touched him.

He loved Kurt more than anything else in the whole world.

Everything was going great until the day Rachel came over for dinner. Rachel must have sensed the change in his and Kurt's relationship because she looked between the two of them with that weird, scrunchy, evil look on her face. Kurt tried to send him away, a worried look on his face, but Blaine stood his ground, looking between Rachel and Kurt as their voices grew louder and louder.

"You're dating Blaine? You can't date a Hybrid, Kurt! He's not human!" Her frown deepened as she looked at Blaine. "He's basically a pet, Kurt. He can't be a real boyfriend. He can't love you."

Kurt huffed, arms crossed over his chest. "Anyone can say 'I love you' and not necessarily mean it. The way I feel when he holds my hand or kisses me or looks at me with that expression on his face, I know that I'm loved. And besides, my relationship with Blaine is our and ours alone. You have no part in it."

Blaine doesn't understand the majority of what they're saying, but he knew it had something to do with how he and Kurt spent their time together recently. Rachel was acting as if what he and Kurt were doing was wrong, and that made Blaine feel really sad. Because it wasn't wrong; it was the most right thing in Blaine's life.

"But if you... Kurt, please don't tell me that you two are actually having..."

Kurt's cheeks colored and he glared at Rachel. "No! But even if we were, it wouldn't be any of your business!"

"Kurt, I'm just trying to look out for you both. It's not right, you and him."

"Maybe _you're_ the one who isn't right. I'd appreciate it if you left."

Rachel's eyes widened but she left without further comment.

Blaine stood back from Kurt, unsure if he should go to him or not. Kurt made the decision for him, practically falling upon Blaine and embracing him. "She's not right, Blaine. You and I…" Kurt sighed. "There's nothing wrong with our love. And if we were to actually have… I think it'd be right too."

Blaine was confused. Rachel and Kurt had both talked about 'having' something, and he didn't know exactly what. Was Having the same as Kissing? Because if so, Blaine was totally onboard for that. Maybe Having was what Kurt let Blaine do some mornings when his belly felt warm and rubbing against Kurt made it feel better.

On those mornings, Blaine would turn so that he was against Kurt's hip and he'd rub until the warmth burst and he was left feeling very happy. Kurt would smile softly at him and brush a hand through his hair, press a kiss to his forehead, and then usher him into the shower so that he could clean off.

Kurt never rubbed against Blaine in return, though, so Blaine just assumed it was something Hybrids did that Kurt allowed. But, Kurt had said they weren't Having, so maybe it was something else entirely.

Blaine was bought back to the present when Kurt pulled back enough to look Blaine in the eye. "Don't listen to anything Rachel says. She doesn't understand. What we have is special and I won't let anyone change that for us." He kissed Blaine, who was only too happy to participate.

* * *

Kurt couldn't stop hearing the horrified tone of voice Rachel had when she was talking about him and Blaine having sex. They weren't having sex… necessarily. Blaine humping his leg every few mornings didn't count… did it?

It wasn't like he'd forced him into it. He wasn't even sure if Blaine quite understood what exactly he was doing. Kurt had been careful with the movies they watched, making sure they didn't have any scenes like that, lest Blaine think it was something he was supposed to do.

Blaine had started doing it all on his own. One morning, they'd woken up together and ended up just lounging around in bed for the morning. Kurt scratched his hands against the base of Blaine's left ear, humming the tune that had been in his head the previous day. Blaine was nuzzling into Kurt's neck, tongue darting out occasionally to lick across it, sending a delicious shiver along Kurt's body.

It was just as Kurt's eyes were fluttering closed that he felt it. Blaine, who had been warm and solid against his side, was moving against him. At first, Kurt thought Blaine was just trying to get more comfortable, but the movement was too purposeful, a gentle rocking back and forth.

Kurt blinked his eyes open and turned so that he could see Blaine better. Blaine's eyes were closed and his cheeks were beginning to turn pink as the movement of his hips became bigger with each pass against Kurt's thigh. Kurt watched in stunned silence as Blaine finally brought himself to completion, shuddering against his side as his eyes finally opened and met Kurt's.

Blaine's smile was tired, but large, eyes slightly dazed. He leaned up and kissed Kurt, barely a few seconds passing before he curled back up into Kurt's side and drifted off into sleep.

Kurt thought maybe it'd be just a one-time thing, but every few days or so, it would happen again. Kurt wasn't the type of person who particularly enjoyed sex; it was more of a necessary chore required of him when he was in relationships, but Blaine clearly was enjoying himself.

Kurt decided that it was something he could do for Blaine, especially since there really wasn't much required of himself. Also, he started to find enjoyment in it for himself. He loved being able to be that person for Blaine, to help him through it and hold him when it was over and he particularly enjoyed seeing the blissful expression on Blaine's face afterwards.

As for their relationship outside the bedroom, it was normal, or as normal as it could be given the circumstances. They continued to cuddle while watching movies at home and they'd spend hours at the park just wandering the pathways through the woods.

There were some new developments, too. Blaine loved going out for dinner. He'd spend the entire date with wide eyes, tail wagging so quickly behind him that it was almost a blur. Kurt somehow got him into a pair of dress pants and a button up shirt, even putting on a bow tie collar and Blaine preened in front of the mirror when he saw the ensemble. When they got to a Hybrid friendly restaurant, Kurt would patiently wait for Blaine to point to the picture of something he liked before making their order, and he'd find himself simply watching as Blaine carefully dug into whatever new dish it was with relish.

It would only be when Blaine would look up at him with a curious expression that Kurt would realize he was staring. He'd flush and dig into his own food. Thankfully, most of the people they'd encounter while on their dates would let them be. It was rare that they'd get a glare or a tut, and it would be from older men and women who were used to a world where Hybrids were lesser beings. Mostly, the people they dealt with would treat them as if they were two humans who were out having a good time.

Kurt had a blast designing clothes for Blaine and it was almost like a game, when he asked Blaine to try them on for him. For each new piece he tried on, Blaine was rewarded with a small kiss.

Rachel eventually accepted them, seeing how happy they were together.

Their story wasn't like anyone else's, and their relationship was nothing like those of the people around them, but it was theirs.

* * *

Years and years passed, and they only grew closer. 27 years of love and happiness, and suddenly it was time to say goodbye. When Blaine had reached his 50's, he'd been slowing down and one morning, Blaine didn't wake up. Kurt had gone into this knowing that he'd most likely outlive him by a few decades, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

Surrounded by family and friends, Kurt said his last goodbye to his best friend and his true love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the downer ending there. I always knew it would come to that when it was established that Hybrids didn't live as long as humans. They were happy and they had a long time together, so there is happiness in that.
> 
> Thanks for going along this journey with me and thank you for being patient with me during the hiatuses between chapters. Thanks for your reviews and responses -you guys are the best. There might be a one-shot or two for this story somewhere down the line, so if you have any ideas or questions, let me know.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the abrupt, downer ending. I realize now that it wasn't the best move, so I'm going to bandage it with a little happy one shot :)

 

It was really one of Kurt's better ideas, if he did say so himself. Well, not as perfect as his and Blaine's wedding, of course, but a close second. He and Blaine had a wonderful life together, but he couldn't help but feel like something was missing. He was slightly surprised to have Jane answer when he called the old shelter.

Jane was very receptive to Kurt's idea, excitedly setting up a time to meet with them.

They decided it would go over best in the park. Kurt hesitated bringing Blaine back to the shelter, and Jane agreed.

Blaine had been beyond excited to go to the park, as he always was. Even at the more mature age of 32, Blaine's eyes sparkled and his body wiggled with anticipation. He pulled Kurt into a short kiss, smiling brightly at him before rushing over to slip his shoes on.

Kurt took Blaine's hand as they walked to the park, swinging it back and forth between them, just enjoying the quiet time together. After today, their lives might be changed forever.

Blaine looked confused when Kurt held him back as they entered the park. Kurt smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "We're meeting someone here today, Blaine."

Blaine looked around the park, face brightening when he spotted one of his Hybrid friends. He nodded towards Sam with a question in his eyes.

Kurt shook his head. "It's not Sam. Do you remember Jane?"

Blaine's face fell and he bit his lip.

Kurt put his hands on Blaine's shoulders and ducked his head so that he could meet Blaine's gaze. "We're family, Blaine. You and me are forever." Kurt lifted up Blaine's left hand and pressed a kiss to where a gold band sat on Blaine's ring finger. "You're never going to lose me."

Blaine's mouth tilted up with a smile, his eyes shining through a few unshed tears. He leaned up on his toes and kissed Kurt softly. He placed his hand on Kurt's heart.

"I love you, too," Kurt said, feeling his smile spread his cheeks.

"Kurt Hummel?"

They both turned to see Jane walking up to them, a tall man following behind her. The picture from the website didn't do the canine Hybrid justice. Bright blue eyes shone above a tentative smile.

Years ago, the Hybrid's piercing blue eyes and towering height would have intimidated Blaine, but his maturity and world-experience made Blaine stand confidently next to Kurt, curiously looking the other Hybrid over.

"Hello, Jane. And hello, Cooper," Kurt said, smiling brightly at the Hybrid.

Cooper's tail swished behind him a few times and his ears twitched. Unlike Blaine's ears, which flopped down the sides of his head, Cooper's ears were pointed up. His tail was bushier too, and thicker than Blaine's.

"I'm Kurt," he continued, "and this is my husband, Blaine."

Cooper blinked, looking between the two of them with an inquisitive look on his face.

"We're very happy to finally meet you."

It was as Kurt watched Cooper struggle to comprehend what he meant that Kurt realized just how much Blaine had grown and learned since he'd come to live with him. Kurt was pleasantly surprised when Blaine took a step towards Cooper and held out his hand. Cooper eyed him warily for a moment before tentatively reaching out and taking Blaine's hand.

Blaine beamed at Cooper, tail wagging crazily behind him and practically bouncing up and down. He looked to Kurt for a moment, a question in his gaze.

"Go have fun," Kurt said with a smile.

Blaine smiled even wider, pulling lightly on Cooper's hand and leading him to the main part of the park. Kurt watched with pride bubbling up in his chest as Blaine showed Cooper around to all of his favorite spots, even guiding him over to where a few of his Hybrid friends were standing. Cooper took it all in with wide eyes, relaxing to the point where his tailed wagged easily behind him, a happy smile across his face.

Feeling good about it all, Kurt turned back to face Jane. "That went well," he said.

"I think things will work out great at your home," she said, reaching into her bag for the paperwork, setting it onto the picnic table next to them. "If you can just sign here and here, we'll be set for the official trial run."

"I need to make sure Blaine's okay with this before we commit, I hope you'll understand."

"Of course."

Kurt called out to Blaine, waving him over when they made eye contact. Cooper, hand still firmly clasped in Blaine's, followed behind him, looking nervous the closer he got to Jane, scootching closer to Blaine.

"Did you have fun?" Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded, leaning into Cooper and looking up at him with a giddy smile.

"Good. Now, I have to ask you an important question, Blaine."

Blaine looked up at him, expression dropping into a more serious one, hand squeezing Cooper's.

"We're family, right?" Blaine nodded. "And we're happy." Blaine's mouth widened into a grin, nodding once more. "Would you like Cooper to be part of our family?" he asked, pointing to Cooper. "All of us family?" He asked, gesturing to the three of them

Cooper looked very confused, eyes darting around, clearly not understanding much of what was going on. Kurt could see Blaine's gears turning in his head, taking a few seconds to process the question before he understood. Once he did, Blaine's eyes lit up and he nodded furiously, pulling Cooper closer to him, leaning over and kissing Cooper softly on the cheek before smiling brightly at Kurt.

"I am glad you agree," Kurt said, taking the pen from Jane and quickly signing his name in the appropriate places.

Jane read it all over and nodded in approval. "We should be all set. My phone number is here if you have any questions or run into any problems. Thank you again for taking him. Cooper deserves a good life and I'll know you'll give that to him."

Kurt waved goodbye, watching as Jane walked away, turning back to face Cooper and Blaine. "So, are you ready to go home?"

* * *

A year later and it was as if Cooper had always been a part of their lives. Cooper very quickly started picking up on words and routines to the point where Kurt forgot what life had been like before him.

It was interesting the differences between Cooper and Blaine, especially considering they were both canine Hybrids.

Where Blaine was a cuddlebug, Cooper loved his queen-sized bed, frequently starfishing out across it. That was helpful for Kurt and Blaine's relationship. Where Blaine had no shame and would most assuredly try to have sex with Kurt right in front of Cooper, Kurt was still terribly modest about it, feeling it was something private to them. Their marriage was already quirky enough as it was without Cooper throwing a wrench into it.

Even without attempting to explain it to Blaine, he seemed to understand that the special way he demonstrated his romantic love for Kurt was just for them. Blaine was physically affectionate with Cooper, but more so in a brotherly way. With Kurt, he'd plop his head right into his lap for scratches, while he'd lay his head on Cooper's shoulder instead. He'd press many a kiss to Cooper's cheeks and forehead, but reserve the real kisses for Kurt.

Kurt had worried that maybe the way Blaine loved him was just the way he loved, and that he'd have to fight Cooper for his affection, but he was pleased to realize that Blaine loved him that way singularly.

The funniest part of Cooper and Blaine's relationship was the scratching sessions. At any given moment, one or both of them would have their hands in the other's hair, scratching at the base of the ears, sometimes at the exact same time. Kurt had walked in on them many a time, matching dopey grins on their faces.

Cooper was the perfect addition to their family.

* * *

The day Kurt got Cooper his own collar was a few months in, once everything had been made official with the shelter. He'd taken Cooper to the store and let him pick it out, excitedly engraving his information onto the tag. Blaine smiled proudly at Cooper when Kurt put it on, tapping the collar around his own neck before touching Cooper's.

Cooper had been unable to stop touching the collar that first day he wore it, an awed expression on his face.

Rachel, who'd originally been quite leery of Kurt's relationship with Blaine had come to her senses and apologized, asking to be a part of their lives again, something Kurt was happy to do.

Rachel became so comfortable with their relationship that she had them babysit her baby frequently. At first, Kurt had been nervous, unsure how Blaine and especially Cooper would react to a human baby, but he shouldn't have been worried; they were naturals.

Rachel's baby had been enamored with the two Hybrids, clapping and laughing in delight at everything they did. She enjoyed watching them chase each other out in the yard and she'd curl up into their sides when they'd watch something on TV, napping together after a long day.

Kurt stood back and watched the love of his life and their best friend and companion sleeping quietly with Rachel's daughter on the couch and couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. Life was wonderful and Kurt was so thankful that he'd taken these two lovable Hybrids into his life so long ago.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this made up for the really crummy ending. Let me know what you thought :)
> 
> BTW for those that were wondering, Cooper as a Hybrid looks like a Husky.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was bored and going through old stories. After rereading this one, I had the inspiration to write a prequel of sorts. This is about young Blaine and Kurt (a year before Kurt's Mom died, to give you an idea of time)

 

It was always dark when Blaine woke up, yet he'd still squeak in fright when he'd open his eyes to nothingness. He kept trying to convince his companions to go to sleep in the sun, but after getting awoken to a kick to the stomach from a Human, he'd quickly realized that maybe hiding for sleep was the best choice overall. It didn't take the fear from the pit of his stomach, though.

After sneaking over to the closest good smelling place near him to scrounge through their shiny bins for scraps of food that didn't smell gross, he'd find a sunny spot to curl up in with a view of the Park where tiny Humans would run around and play.

Blaine loved watching them play, tail wagging slowly through the grass behind him as he tried to figure out what exactly they were doing. There seemed to be one Human with long fur on their head that would run around behind everyone trying to hit the other Humans… Blaine _really_ didn't like hitting. He felt his ears go back on his head and he hid his tail underneath him, face hidden in his arms as the Humans continued to run around.

One day, Blaine was pulled into their play without his choice. He hadn't been able to find any food in the bins this morning, so his stomach was burning and making a horrible noise. He settled himself beneath a tree so that the light of the sun wasn't as hot on his skin.

Today, the tiny Humans were out on the grass with a small round thing, a Ball one of the Humans seemed to call it, chasing it as it moved around. Blaine could feel his ears pick up a little bit and his tail started swishing behind him a little crazily.

He couldn't stop his eyes from following the Ball around, desperate to chase after it but scared of what would happen if the Humans saw him. It was as one of the Humans made the Ball move much closer to Blaine that the choice was taken away from him.

"Kurt!" one of the Humans yelled, "get the ball!"

Blaine felt a coldness take over his body as one of the Humans came running up to him, smaller than the rest, but still looming when he came to stand over where Blaine curled into himself.

"Oh," the Human said, stopping his movement when his eyes found Blaine. "Hello."

Blaine whimpered, hiding his face so that only his eyes could peer over his arm.

"Oh," the Human said again, dropping down so that he was more at Blaine's level. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said again, his voice becoming more quiet.

Blaine had no idea what the Human was saying, but he seemed so unlike all the other Humans who liked to kick Blaine. Blaine's stomach made another one of its loud noises and the Human's eyes fell to look at it.

"Are you hungry?" More sounds Blaine didn't understand came from the Human. He simply looked up at him and was desperate to be able to make noises like him and join in. Instead, he had to just hope the Human wouldn't think he was being mean by not doing anything. He watched curiously while the Human reached into the things he was wearing and finally pulled out something that crinkled in his hands. "Here you go."

Blaine didn't know what to do, never having had a Human give him something. Finally, the Human set the item down in front of Blaine and smiled, backing away with the Ball and returning to the other Humans.

Blaine waited until he was not looking at him to pick up the item he had been given, nose sniffing it a few times before he ripped into the package and shoved the whole item into his mouth.

It was the best thing Blaine had ever tasted. He had no idea what it was, but try as he might to make it last, he was finished with it before he even realized it. He licked his fingers, trying to find any extra pieces of the food, tail drooping when he could find none.

Stomach feeling better, he returned to watching the Humans chase the Ball, a small smile on his face, thankful to this wonderful Human who gave him such a lovely gift.

* * *

 

As a young boy, Kurt didn't ever really get to spend time with Hybrids. His family couldn't afford one and he didn't have many friends either.

His first real experience with a Hybrid was at the park one day in the early spring when Kurt was 7 years old. His father had pressed the school to allow Kurt onto the soccer team even though he had absolutely no drive to actually go after the ball, terrified someone would kick his shin or knock his over. Instead, he usually stuck to the back of the pack going after the ball, never actually having to make contact with the soccer ball.

The team usually practiced at the school, but today the football team commandeered it for drills, so the soccer team was forced to go to the park for practice.

Halfway through the game, Kurt had clocked out. He was going through outfit ideas when the soccer ball soared past his head. He was barely able to flinch in time to avoid being smacked upside the head by it.

He turned his head and watched as the ball came to rest beside a dark shape underneath a tree up the hill.

"Kurt! Get the ball!" James yelled, frowning at him from the goal down the way.

Kurt frowned, upset that he'd been pulled out of his daydreams to have to go chase the dumb ball. He wanted to be in the play, but his Dad had already started the process of getting him the spot on the soccer team, having to fight and tooth and nail for it, too.

He trudged up the hill spewing hate at the boys on his team and the situation as a whole. As he got closer to the ball, he realized the dark spot he'd seen under the tree was actually a person. He slowed down a little as he got closer, nervous that it was a homeless person or maybe it was a dead body?

As he crested the hill, he saw that the person was moving slightly, hiding themselves as best they could. It was only when he got within a few feet of them, that he realized that the person under the tree had ears on top of their head and a tail.

"Oh," he said, startled to a halt. "Hello," he continued, the manners his father instilled in him showing themselves through his shock.

The Hybrid boy made himself even smaller, a quiet noise squeaking out of him.

"Oh," Kurt said, feeling his heart stutter in his chest at the terrified eyes looking up at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He tried to keep his voice to a low volume so as not to scare the boy any more than he already had. He wanted his first experience with a Hybrid to go well.

There was no one else around the Hybrid – was he homeless? If he had a family, Kurt was certain they wouldn't have left him alone like this. Plus, the Hybrid looked like he was terribly confused, unkempt and skinnier than anyone deserved to be. His stomach growled, making Kurt certain that the Hybrid probably wasn't eating regularly.

"Are you hungry?" Kurt asked, cringing when he realized how stupid the question was. Of _course_ he was hungry. He stupidly waited a few seconds, shaking his head when it occurred to him that Hybrids couldn't speak; he was never going to get an answer. Remembering the sandwich his Mom had made for him, he reached into his back pocket and pulled it out. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich might not look like much, but it was the least he could offer the Hybrid. "Here you go."

He held the sandwich out to the Hybrid, seeing the wide golden eyes watch him with such fear but also curiosity. After waiting at least a full minute, Kurt sighed and set the sandwich carefully down in front of him. It was obvious that the Hybrid wasn't going to move until Kurt left. He could only hope that he was able to help the boy even just a little bit.

He smiled as brightly as he could at the Hybrid, grabbing the soccer ball and backing away down the hill. After watching the Hybrid staring at him, he turned around and went to bring the ball back to his team.

He turned back after a moment to see if the Hybrid had moved at all. He let out a small laugh when he saw him nearly destroy the sandwich, basically putting the whole thing in his mouth and licking the remnants off his fingers.

Kurt could finally see what he looked like, dark curls a mess atop the Hybrid's head, brown ears hanging down to his chin and a tail of matching color wagging slightly behind him. Kurt wanted to badly to go up and just sit with the Hybrid, but he knew he probably wouldn't be welcome.

Maybe sometime in the future, when he was old enough, he could get a Hybrid friend of his own.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this little addition! I'm sorry for no other updates to my other stories. I will as soon as I get more inspiration to write.
> 
> Reviews are always appreciated.


	13. Chapter 13

**This was written as a chapter for my 2016 Klaine Advent Challenge -["An Advent-turous Life"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8719891)** **, with the prompt "Video" and "You're getting crumbs all over my bed"**

* * *

 

Kurt was the best at scratching his ears, but Cooper made a good substitute. They had just been chasing the Ball around outside for most of the day before Cooper had fallen down onto his back. Blaine had knelt down beside Cooper, dropping his head onto Cooper's lap, smiling when his hands immediately burrowing into his hair and started scratching the base of his ears.

His leg started twitching, a groan coming up from deep in his belly. He watched as their friends were continuing to chase each other around the Park. Sam was trailing around behind Tina, who was making a Laugh sound like he and Kurt did and it made Blaine's chest feel bubbly.

All of Blaine's friends liked Cooper a lot, pulling him into their games of chase until Cooper's big eyes would close up like Kurt's did when he smiled. His tall ears would go all the way straight up on his head and his tail would shake so quickly that Blaine's almost couldn't see it. He was so happy that Kurt got Cooper for him.

Blaine let his eyes fall closed, falling asleep as Cooper continued to scratch his ears, his tail flicking out and catching along Cooper's leg every so often.

He woke up to Kurt laying him down back Home in their Bed. He smiled up at Kurt, eyes still heavy as he tried to stay awake. Kurt Kissed him, joining him and pulling Blaine against his chest. " **Sleep** , Blaine. We have plenty of time to be awake later."

Blaine closed his eyes once more, curling up into Kurt and falling back asleep.

* * *

Kurt woke up to the light shining directly into his eyes, Blaine's warm body pressed along the entire length of his side. His nose twitched when he felt Blaine's ears twitch against it, causing him to giggle. It took a minute to register the presence of something else in their bed.

He looked down, chuckling when he saw Cooper sprawled across Blaine's torso, eating some left over toast from their breakfast this morning. He had one of Kurt's old picture books spread across Kurt's legs, flipping through it with mild interest, pausing every so often at a picture he liked before moving on.

Kurt cringed when bits of toast fell to the bedspread. "You're getting crumbs all over my bed," Kurt complained, keeping his voice as light as possible. Cooper still got upset if Kurt let himself sound frustrated or angry.

Cooper jumped slightly, meeting Kurt's gaze with a sheepish expression. Kurt was certain that he'd taught Cooper what the word 'crumb' was due to how messy he and Blaine tended to be with their food and Kurt need for cleanliness. Cooper set his toast carefully on a plate at his side and tried to scoop up the crumbs from the bedspread, face falling when he couldn't get most of them. His eyes were watery when he looked at Kurt.

Kurt reached out and cupped Cooper's face in his hand. "It's okay, Cooper. I'll get a vacuum to clean it up."

Cooper's ears drooped. He'd learned the word 'vacuum' too, tail going between his legs and hiding whenever Kurt used it. Cooper scooped up his book and toast, running out of the room and closing himself into his own bedroom.

Kurt shook his head, sighing. There was still so much fear in Cooper that he hoped to dispel, but it was going to take time. He'd grown so much in the time they'd had together, but there was still a lot of work to do. Kurt laid himself back down and pulled Blaine close, thankful for the chance to share his life with them.

* * *

"Okay, boys, are you ready?"

He looked over to where Blaine and Cooper were both sitting on the couch next to him, eagerness in their expressions as they watched Kurt fiddle with the remote.

"Here we go!" he called, pressing play and firing up the video. Having seen the video multiple times during the editing process, he had no need to rewatch it himself, choosing to watch Cooper and Blaine's expressions instead.

Kurt had worked hard on this video, filming choice moments over the last two years and his hard work seemed to have paid off. Blaine watched, enraptured, as clips of himself and Cooper and Kurt showed across the screen. Cooper was a sight to behold as well. First, he started wiggling on the couch, whining a little as he did. Eventually, he slid off the couch and inched his way toward the screen until finally he was sitting directly below the TV, hand outstretched as if to touch it, but too much in awe to try.

Halfway through, Blaine took Kurt's hand in his, pulling it into his lap. He turned to smile brightly at Kurt once before turning his attention back to the screen. In one of the clips that Rachel herself had filmed, Cooper was running around the yard like a maniac while Kurt and Blaine were kissing softly in the background. Blaine made a little hiccuping sound, the most breathtaking smile on his face as he leaned over and placed his hand on Kurt's heart, eyes sparkling in pure joy.

Cooper reached his hand up and pressed it against the screen on the final clip of the three of them enjoying a picnic in their backyard.

They both turned to look at Kurt in confusion when the screen went black. "That's it," Kurt explained. "Did you like it?"

Blaine nodded immediately, climbing into Kurt's lap and kissing him, tongue pressing through his lips and rubbing along the roof of his mouth before his breath punched out in a laugh when Cooper joined them, nestling in between them with a happy groan.

"I love you both so much," Kurt said, putting his arms around them and pulling them into a hug.


	14. Chapter 14

**Alternate meeting:**

Kurt felt like someone was watching him at the park, but, unable to see them, Kurt shrugged it off and continued making his sandcastle.

He was just setting his third tower when he felt breathing on his neck. He whipped around squeaking when he became face to face with someone standing directly behind him. He put his hands up in front of his face, ready to defend himself from the fists he was certain were coming.

After a few seconds of nothing happening, Kurt dropped his hands and blinked up at the person who was standing shell-shocked in front of him. Except, it wasn't a person, not really. The boy (he assumed it was a boy) had what looked to be dog ears flopping down the sides of his head, a long brown tail curled protectively between his legs.

"Hi?" Kurt said, uncertain. The boy looked like he could hardly hurt a fly, so Kurt's earlier fear dissipated.

The boy simply smiled at Kurt, staying silent.

Kurt frowned. "It's only polite to say 'hi' back, you know."

The boy bit his lip, pointing to his mouth and shaking his head.

It took Kurt a few seconds to figure to what the boy was trying to communicate. "You can't speak?"

Blaine nodded, smile a little sad. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sheet of paper, holding it out to Kurt.

" _My name is Blaine and I'm a Hybrid, so I can't talk."_ The rest of the paper had Blaine's address and a phone number on it. It looked similar to the note Kurt's mom made him carry in his backpack. Seeing that the park was directly behind their house, Kurt's mom thought he was old enough to be at the park alone. "Hi, Blaine," Kurt said, giving Blaine his note back. "I'm Kurt."

Blaine's tail twitched and he looked excited, eyes glittering in the early light. He looked at Kurt's sandcastle and his eyes looked questioning.

"Did you want to help me with my castle?"

Blaine nodded, kneeling down carefully next to Kurt and putting his hands on his thighs, looking up at Kurt eagerly. His hands were shaking slightly when he accepted a shovel from Kurt, holding it reverently, like it was a precious gift.

Kurt held up his own shovel, demonstrating how to use it to scoop dirt into the bucket, smiling brightly when Blaine seemed to understand and enthusiastically joined in.

* * *

His wife's bloodcurdling screech froze Burt's heart and sent him running to the living room. "Lizzie?"

She was stood upon the coffee table, shuddering. She pointed to a quivering black lump on the floor. "How did that _thing_ get in my living room?"

Burt scooted over so that he was in-between his wife and the _thing_. "What is it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know! I think it's alive though," she bit out, backing away even more.

"He's not an 'it'!" a small voice called out from behind the couch. Burt turned, shocked to see Kurt stepping out from behind the arm rest. "His name is Blaine and he's my friend!" he said angrily, little hands on his hips. For being only 7, he was an intimidating presence already.

"Blaine?" Burt asked, looking back at the lump which now had moved enough to reveal a face, a terrified expression on it. He helped his wife off the table before squatting down to get a better look at Blaine.

Kurt knelt down and placed a soft hand on Blaine's body. "It's okay, Blaine. They won't hurt you," he said quietly, smiling at him.

Burt felt his eyes widen when he spotted a long pair of ears nestled in Blaine's curly hair, a tail swiping out from behind Blaine back. "A hybrid," Burt breathed, shocked. He'd not seen one this young before.

Kurt's hand nestled into Blaine's curls and scratched. Burt watched as Blaine's body relaxed slightly, a small smile rising on his mouth.

"Kurt, how did Blaine end up in our house?"

Kurt's cheeks colored and he started fidgeting. "His person left him alone at the park, so I thought I could borrow him for a while?"

Burt chuckled, feeling sheepish when Lizzie glared at him. _This is not a funny moment_ , she seemed to be saying. "Kurt, you can't just _borrow_ people. I'm sure whoever… owns him is worried sick." Bile rose in his throat at the idea that this living breathing child was seen more a property than family, but he used the word all the same. Blaine was looking up at him with a curious expression, body less tense now that he seemed to realize that Burt and Lizzie weren't going to hurt him.

"I asked him where his person was and he couldn't find them. He started crying," Kurt complained. He scratched Blaine's head once more with such a fond smile that it made Burt's heart ache. "I couldn't just leave him there alone."

Lizzie sighed. "You should have asked us first."

Kurt nodded, reaching into his pocket and handing his Dad a piece of paper. "Do we need to call them now or can we play a little longer?"

Lizzie ruffled Kurt's hair. "We have to let them know where he is and then we'll see if maybe they can let him stay with us a little longer."

Kurt's smile brightened. "Could he spend the night?"

"We'll see, little one," Lizzie said.

Burt meanwhile was dialing the number on the piece of paper Kurt had handed him.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Burt Hummel. Our son was at the park with Blaine and he got worried when they couldn't find you so he brought him home."

"Oh, dear," the woman said. "We've been working with him for a while on being more independent. My husband Bill thought that he was old enough to know better than to just go with strangers. Obviously we were wrong. I'm so sorry – we'll come get him immediately. I feel negligent in thinking I could let him go alone."

"It might not be smart, but we let Kurt play there by himself as well. We're just next door to the park."

"Still, Blaine being… who he is, he's not able to communicate properly. I'm sorry if he's caused a problem."

"Oh, he's no problem. He and Kurt seem to get along. He was actually wondering if you'd let Blaine stay and play with him for a while or maybe even spend the night?"

He heard the woman move on the other end, hearing her muffled voice say, "Bill, there's a gentleman on the phone who says that Blaine went home with his son." The rest of the conversation was too quiet for Burt to understand. "We'd feel better if we could come and meet you and your son before we allow him to spend the night, I hope you understand."

"Of course." Burt gave them his address and as soon as he hung up, Kurt came running up, his hand tightly holding onto Blaine's.

"Can he stay, can he stay?" Kurt asked, bouncing up and down. Blaine didn't look like he quite understood what was going on, but he saw Kurt bouncing and started mimicking him.

"His family is coming to visit with us for a little bit and then we'll see."

Kurt's face fell, but he nodded resolutely. He brought Blaine over to his bedroom, talking animatedly about his favorite toys.

In only five minutes, Blaine's family arrived, looking a little frazzled. "I'm Susan and this is Bill," the woman said, shaking Burt's hand.

Burt nodded. "I'm Burt and this is my wife Lizzie."

"Thank you for taking care of Blaine for us."

"He's a good…" he trailed off, uncertain how to best refer to Blaine.

Susan smiled sadly. "Boy. He's our little boy."

"He's a good boy." He felt good about these people and their obvious love for their unconventional child. He let them inside and brought them over to Kurt's room. All four adults peered in quietly.

"You can be Ariel since you can't speak. Because she couldn't speak either," Kurt said, holding out his doll. "I'll be Prince Eric."

Blaine's smile was wide and his tail was thumping wildly behind him. He held her up in the air and mimicked swimming.

"He got so excited when we showed him that movie," Susan explained in a hushed voice. "He made us replay it the rest of the day."

"It's okay you can't talk," Kurt said conversationally, walking Eric along the pillow he'd set on the floor. "I don't like talking sometimes, either. I like the quiet… except for music. I love singing." He proceeded to start singing the beginning of ' _Part of Your World_ '.

Blaine's ears perked up and the most awe-filled expression overtook his face. He dropped Ariel to the floor and scooted closer to Kurt. It was then that Burt heard the distinct sound of humming coming from the small boy.

He heard Susan gasp. "He's never…" She clasped her hands together with tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. "Bill!"

Bill looked to be moved to tears as well. They gripped each other's hands and watched in wonder as Blaine hummed along with Kurt.

"Thank you," Bill said, turning and hugging a very shocked Burt. "You have no idea how much it means to see him this happy."

They stepped away from Kurt's room, making their way back to the living room. "I'm sure Blaine would love to spend the night. He's clearly quite taken with Kurt." Bill's smile was wide. "I think Kurt's friendship will be a good influence for Blaine."

After discussing when they'd be back to pick of Blaine the next morning (and grabbing his clothes and personal belongings for the sleepover), they went in to kiss Blaine goodbye. "Have fun, Blaine. Kurt's Mommy and Daddy will come get us if you get scared or sad, okay?"

Blaine nodded, gripping Kurt's hand tightly.

"We love you, Blaine," Susan said, pressing a kiss to Blaine's head. The unmistakable sound of a giggle came bursting out Blaine's lips and he hugged her tightly, rocking back and forth.

Blaine didn't seem too bothered after his parents left. He willingly went along with everything Kurt recommended they play, curling up on the sofa to watch The Little Mermaid, Blaine's eyes glittering and pointing to himself when Ariel lost her voice, humming once more when Kurt started singing along. They both ended up falling asleep towards the end of the movie, curled up into each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to write in the verse forever. I have so much fun writing puppy!Blaine.


End file.
